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Class. 
Book 



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Copyright N° 



COPYRIGHT DEPOSIT. 



A SHORT HISTORY 



OF 



ASYLUM 



PENNSYLVANIA 



Founded in 1793 

BY THE 

French Exiles in America 



The Incidents that Drove them from France. 

Their History while in America. 

Their Return to France. 

Their Descendants who Remained. 



BY 

J. W. INGHAM, 

it 

1916. 



Fit 



PRESS OF THE 

TOWANDA PRINTING COMPANY, 

TOWANDA, PA. 




JUN 26 1916 
©CI.A433 



CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER I. 
Death of Louis XV, and the Accession of his Grandson, Louis 

XVI. 
The Old Parliaments Revived. 
Act Passed Abolishing the Privileges of the Nobles and the 

Clergy. 
The Revolution that Followed. 
The Reign of Terror. 
Robespierre at the Head of Affairs. 
The King Put to Death. 
The Revolution in San Domingo. 
A Great Number of Refugees Fled to America. 
CHAPTER II. 

M. Charles Felix Bue Boulogne and Adam Hoops Sent to Se- 
lect the Site for a Town. 

They Arrived August 27, 1793. 

Judge Matthias Hollenback of Wilkes-Barre, Accepts Their 
Letter of Credit. 

The Schufeldt Farm (Asylum) Selected. 

October, 1793, M. Boulogne Makes the First Purchase and Is 
the First Settler. 

Robert Morris Purchases the Desired Lots For the Settlers. 
CHAPTER III. 

M. Talon Arrives at Asylum. 

He Becomes General Manager of the Contemplated Improve- 
ments. 

The First Grist Mill Built. 

Two Stores Are Started. 

An Inn, or Hotel, is Established. 

Catholic Church Services Are Conducted. 
CHAPTER IV. 

The D'Autremonts Move to Asylum From "The Butternuts," 

New York. 
A Settlement Begun at New Era (Terry Township.) 



4 CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER V. 

Houses and Gardens Described. 
CHAPTER VI. 

Dupetithouar, the Founder of Dushore. 
CHAPTER VII. 

John Keating Comes to Asylum. 

Habits, Dress and Amusements of the French Exiles. 
CHAPTER VIII. 

The Town Described By an English Traveller. 

Charles Felix Bue Boulogne Drowned in the Loyal Sock Creek, 
Sullivan County. 
CHAPTER IX. 

Talleyrand Visits Asylum. 

Louis Philippe, Duke of Orleans, Afterward King of France, 
Visits Asylum. 

Duke de Rochefoucauld de Laincourt Visits the Colony and 
Writes About It. 

The Price of Lands, Etc. 
CHAPTER X. 

The First Wedding. 

A Theatre is Built. 
CHAPTER XL 

Land Titles Poor. 

Discouraging Obstacles to Be Overcome. 

The Clearing of an Acre Costs Thirty Dollars. 

The D'Autremont Family and the Lefevres. 
CHAPTER XII. 

M. Bue Boulogne, and Incidents of the Lefevre Family. 

Charles Hornet, Senior, B. Laporte and Others. 

The Postman Brings Joyous News to the Colonists. 

Most of Them Return to France. 
CHAPTER XIII. 

Appendix. 

The Laportes, Hornets, Lefevres, d'Autremonts, and Their De- 
scendants in America. 



(COPYRIGHT APPLIED FOR.) 



AUTHOE'S PREFACE. 

The writer began this history about twenty years ago, at 
which time he gathered the material and prepared the manu- 
script for "A History of the Susquehanna Valley." This work 
contemplated covering the whole North Branch valley from 
Wilkes-Barre to Tioga Point. Such a history, to be correct, 
must naturally contain the matter pertaining to Asylum and 
the French Refugees. I, therefore, prepared at that time much 
of the matter contained in this booklet. 

The Reverend David Craft, long a resident of Terrytown 
and Wyalusing, Pa., and well known as an historian, had 
written a History of Bradford County in 1878, which contained 
a brief history of Asylum. Mr. Craft later moved to Angelica, 
N. Y., at which place resided some descendants of the French 
Refugees, formerly of Asylum. After writing his history of 
Bradford County, Mr. Craft published a pamphlet entitled "A 
Day at Asylum." He came into possession of additional his- 
torical matter after moving from this county, which he very 
generously sent me. I am therefore greatly indebted to him. 

Mr. Miner, in his history of Wyoming, had also written 
something about the French Refugees, and to him I wish to 
give due credit. 

My grandfather, Joseph Ingham, came to what is now Brad- 
ford County in 1793, at about the time the French Refugees 
came to Asylum. He settled on the Susquehanna River, about 
eight mlies south of Asylum. His house was in plain sight of 
the river which was then the principal highway by which set- 
tlers came into this territory, and it was also the means by 
which goods and merchandise were transported in Durham 
boats which plied up and down the river. Naturally, he learned 
much about the new settlement at Asylum and its people. Some 
years later, being a practical millwright, he assisted Charles 
Hornet, Jr., in building a grist mill at Asylum. From him and 
other members of our family there was handed down, by tradi- 
tion, considerable information about the French settlers. 



8 AUTHOR'S PREFACE. 

About twelve years ago, (1904) my brother, the late Thomas 
J. Ingham, of Laporte, Sullivan County, wrote a history of that 
county, which was later published. He invited me to assist him 
in the work, and it was necessary to incorporate in that work 
all that was known about the French settlers at Dushore and 
Hillsgrove (in that county) who were a part of the Asylum 
colony. Some data was obtained at that time, which has been 
presented in this history of Asylum. 

Still later, or about ten years ago, Mrs. Louise Murray, of 
Athens, a descendant of Bartholomew LaPorte, one of the French 
settlers at Asylum wrote a brief history of "Azylum," and to her 
I am also indebted. This booklet is not designed, or expected 
to supersede Mrs. Murray's excellent work. It could not do that, 
for she has specialized and after much painstaking search, pro- 
cured documentary matter of great value, which is contained in 
her book. Her history will continue to be read and valued as 
highly in the future as in the past. 

Mr. John A. Biles, a well known surveyor, whose home is 
in the near vicinity of Asylum, after a long search found the 
original map of the town of Asylum, prepared by a French en- 
gineer. From studying this map, and after careful examination 
of the ground, he has been enabled to locate the position of the 
most important buildings which were erected there, of which 
there are no traces remaining at the present time. Mr. Biles 
has also contributed much to the history of Asylum. 

John W. Mix, Esq., of Towanda, a descendant of Anthony 
Lefevre, one of these pioneers, had also acquired some valuable 
data, and to him I am also greatly indebted. 

Within the past year, a movement has been started, fostered 
by the Bradford County Historical Society, and the George 
Clymer Chapter of the D. A. R., of Towanda, to place a per- 
manent stone marker at, or near, the site of one of the more 
conspicuous buildings of Asylum. It is proposed to have an 
anniversary gathering upon the ground in June, 1916, at which 
time there will be the unveiling of this stone or marker, and 
suitable addresses to commemorate the event. In anticipation 
of this event, much important data was placed in the hands of 
Mr. D. M. Turner, editor of the Towanda Daily Review, from 



AUTHOR'S PREFACE. 9 

which he was requested to prepare an article on Asylum, to be 
printed for that occasion. Mr. Turner, knowing that I had 
written several articles on this subject, and that I was in pos- 
session of additional matter, placed this data in my hands with 
the request that I write the article. In accordance with this 
request I undertook the task with some diffidence, fearing that 
Mr. Turner had over-rated my ability along this line. 

After undertaking the work, I soon learned that the sub- 
ject could not be suitably treated in a short article. It has been 
thought proper, therefore, to have the matter contained herein 
printed in book form. This booklet is a mere fragment of the 
manuscript as at first prepared for the History of the Susque- 
hanna Valley. The portion selected for publication embraces 
the territory of Asylum, Wyalusing, Terry, and Wilmot Town- 
ships. In this section I was born and here I have lived all my 
life. Many of the pioneers whose names appear in these pages, 
of the second generation, were personally known to me. Their 
sons and daughters of the third generation were my acquaint- 
ances and friends. The descendants of the French Refugees 
made their homes in all of the four townships mentioned here- 
in. They are intermarried with the descendants of the pioneer 
families of the whole section covered by this history. Hence it 
is, that I discovered that the History of Asylum could not be 
easily separated from that of the adjoining townships. Of 
necessity, there are some repetitions; neither township would 
be complete in itself, without this repetition to some extent. In 
cases where the different accounts of the same incident are con- 
flicting, and wherein dates differ, I have endeavored to arrive 
at the truth through the preponderance of evidence. I do not 
claim, however, to be infallible, and, no doubt, errors may be 

discovered. 

J. W. INGHAM. 
Towanda, Penn'a., May 20, 1916. 



ASYLUM 



A SHORT HISTORY OF THE FRENCH EXILES AND THEIR 

SETTLEMENT IN AMERICA AT ASYLUM, 

BRADFORD COUNTY, PENNA. 



(The writer of this sketch has deemed it proper to give- 
here, as preliminary thereto, the following brief review of the 
events which led up to the French Revolution, and drove these 
exiles to the wilds of Northern Pennsylvania.) 



CHAPTER I. 

FRENCH REVOLUTION. NOBILITY FLEES TO AMERICA. 

IN the year 1754 the King of France, Louis XV, 
died after a long reign of 58 years. The latter 
part of his private life was disgraceful; his ad- 
ministration of public affairs was feeble, and his 
death was not regretted. He was succeeded by his 
grandson, Louis XVI. In the four years previous 
to his succession to the throne, he had lost by death 
his father and elder brother, both of whom had stood 
between him and the Kingship. His mother had 
died about the same time. This unusual mortality 
in a healthy family was, by some suspicious people, 
unjustly attributed to poison. 

Louis was a good man morally and no doubt 
earnest in his endeavors to reform abuses and pro- 
mote the happiness of his people, but unfortunately 
the existing state of affairs in France precluded any 



12 A SHORT HISTORY OF ASYLUM. 

gradual change of government for the better. The 
church, the nobility, and privileged classes, con- 
trolled the government and dictated its policy. At 
the very commencement of his reign, Louis, though 
with some sacrifice of his feelings and opinions, 
complied with the general wish of having the old 
Parliaments, which had not been assembled for a 
hundred years, restored. Accordingly, a measure 
was adopted for the restoration of this ancient leg- 
islative assembly. The King had taken into his ser- 
vice two ministers favorable to the wishes of the 
people, — Count de Maurepas and M. Turgot, — both 
men of ability and desirous of satisfying the people 
so far as the King was able to do so. 

Unfortunately, they were lacking in that impor- 
tant gift of statesmanship called "Tact" or concilia- 
tion. They did not say to the priests, bishops, 
dukes, counts, and landed gentlemen: "The com- 
mon people are clamoring loudly for. reforms in 
the government. It would be to your interest to 
grant some of the things they are demanding, which 
would satisfy them. Otherwise they might bring on 
a revolution, proclaim a republic, and take away all 
your just rights, as well as privileges." This kind 
of management might have done great good and pre- 
vented the Revolution and could have done no harm. 
Instead of this, Turgot declared: "The only reme- 
dies to correct the ills of France were economy, and 
the abolition of privileges so that all people should 
be taxed alike." For this truthful declaration he 
was forced to resign. 

The American Revolution had been successful. 
News of the Declaration of Rights (or Declaration 
of Independence) had crossed the ocean and been 
circulated in France, where it was well calculated 



A SHORT HISTORY OF ASYLUM. 13 

to encourage revolutionary movements. The Cath- 
olic Church, which was supported by the govern- 
ment, with taxes levied on all the people whether 
they belonged to it or not, created a great deal of 
angry discussion. Philosophers attacked the 
Jesuits, the monastic orders, the priests and the 
Pope of Rome. Tytler, in his history, says : ' ' The 
errors of Catholicism, upheld by a bigoted, infatu- 
ated clergy at variance with the only assemblies in 
the nation capable of any constitutional remon- 
strance (against tyranny) naturally hurried the 
wits and free-thinkers of that lively nation into ex- 
tremes, which every sober-minded man could not fail 
to lament. In a very short course of time, from 
railing at the regular clergy, they proceeded to rail 
at religion, and even atheism was propagated. 

Both in the Parliament, when assembled, and the 
States General (another legislative chamber that 
had been called into existence) there were exciting 
debates, and furious contentions. At this memora- 
ble period an infatuation, the most surprising, 
seemed to hurry on the privileged orders to their 
ruin and destruction, and with them the monarchy. 
Instead of bending in any manner to the force of 
popular opinion, they, more strongly than ever, 
stood on their privileges, and appeared to treat with 
contempt that powerful and enlightened majority 
that was opposed to them. 

The descendants of the ancient aristocracy did 
not number more than two hundred families, but 
the numbers of those who had bought their titles 
of Dukes, and Counts, amounted to several thou- 
sand. The Parliament, the States General, and 
another body called the ' ' Commons ' ' combined their 
powers and took the name of "The National As- 
sembly" in which the nobility and clergy dis- 



14 A SHORT HISTORY OF ASYLUM. 

tinguished themselves by wearing robes of rare 
richness and beauty. They did not seem to know 
that their imprudence would injure them. In 1789 
an act was passed for the abolition of the privileges 
of the nobles and clergy; and persons of every rank 
and description were declared to be eligible to all 
civil, military and ecclesiastical appointments. 

The royal family were exposed to horrible insults 
and indignities at Versailles, where the royal palace 
was located, and almost forced to remove to Paris. 
Measures were adopted by the Assembly to place 
all church property at the disposal of the nation; 
dissolve all monastic establishments; feudal privi- 
leges and rights, and to suppress the Provincial Par- 
liaments, (or local rule). Every law was voted by 
acclamation and scarcely any debate allowed. There 
were several important grievances, all working to- 
gether,, which brought on the French Revolution. 
The common people had no voice whatever in the 
government under which they lived, or in the enact- 
ment of the laws which they were forced to obey. 
The taxes were exorbitant, and those collected from 
the common people greater in proportion than those 
paid hj the land owners and wealthy classes. It 
was ''Taxation without representation" against 
which the American colonists rebelled. 

The Bastile was a strong fortress armed with can- 
non, and used as a state's prison, mainly for the in- 
carceration of political offenders. Owing to the 
natural clemency of the King it was now almost 
empty, holding fewer convicts than ever before. 

On the 14th of July, 1789, a false rumor was cir- 
culated that the commander of the old prison had 
received orders to turn the guns on the city. A 
furious mob rushed to attack it, and was fired on by 
the guards, killing several of the assailants, and the 



A SHORT HISTORY OF ASYLUM. 15 

guards themselves were killed in the fight. Their 
heads were stuck on pikes and carried through the 
city. The building was completely demolished. 
When the news was taken to the King he said : ' * It 
is an insurrection ! " l ' Sire, ' ' said the messenger, ' ' it 
is more than that, — it is a terrible revolution ! ' ' 

At this time, and for some time afterwards, Gen- 
eral Lafayette was in sympathy with the revolu- 
tionists and acting with them. He sent the key of 
the Bastile to General Washington, under whom he 
had served in the American Revolution. 

In 1792 Prussia and Austria had intervened to as- 
sist the King of France. Their intervention was 
harmful, instead of beneficial to the King. He was 
accused of calling in the enemies of France to sus- 
tain his power against the people. This false charge 
sealed his doom. The regular army was sent to the 
frontiers to repel the advance of a Prussian army 
under the command of the Duke of Brunswick. An 
army of militia was organized and placed under the 
command of General Lafayette to make it appear 
more respectable. It was well known to Robes- 
pierre and his lawless gang, that the militia would 
not fire on the Parisian mobs. In the month of 
August a furious attack was made on the King's 
palace, and in its defence his guards fired on the 
mob, killing several, and were themselves killed. 
The reign of terror was now supreme. The execra- 
ble and unscrupulous Robespierre was at the head 
of affairs. Space would not admit the description 
of the atrocities of his merciless career. Lafayette 
resigned from the army, being unwilling to serve 
under the monster. Many who were' suspected of 
favoring the royalists were thrust into prison, and 
there assassinated without trial, unseen. The num- 
ber thus put to death in private was computed at 



16 A SHORT HISTORY OF ASYLUM. 

five thousand. The King, after the mockery of a 
pretended trial, was condemned to death and be- 
headed. Not long afterwards, his Queen, an amia- 
ble woman, and the daughter of a great queen, 
(Maria Theresa) suffered the same fate. In his 
trial before the national assembly, the King de- 
fended himself with great firmness, and simplicity 
of language. He said: "I had no wish to injure 
my subjects. No intention of shedding their blood." 
He declared that his conscience fully acquitted him 
of the things laid to his charge. His declaration 
was true. He was in no way responsible for the 
sufferings of the common people from unjust laws 
and institutions established long before he was 
born. He had favored every measure for reforming 
abuses that had been proposed in the Assembly. 

The men like Lafayette, who had at the begin- 
ning taken a part in the revolution, had not the 
faintest idea that it would be transformed into the 
awful thing it had become in making the finest city 
in the world a human slaughter house. They were 
few in numbers as compared with the rabble that 
rallied around the standard of Robespierre, and the 
other unprincipled demagogues who acted with 
him. 

Refusing to join in the wholesale carnage of 
crimes, Lafayette and his friends were imprisoned. 
During this period of anarchy, seventy thousand 
Frenchmen fled from their homes, mainly to other 
countries in Europe. A few rushed to Haiti, or San 
Domingo, unconsciously into still greater danger. 
It was like "jumping out of the frying pan into the 
fire." The island belonged to France and Spain, 
the former owning about one-third of the Western 
end, where the French had several towns, and large 
plantations well stocked with negro slaves. The 



A SHORT HISTORY OP ASYLUM. 17 

situation was dangerous in the extreme. "When the 
sharp ears of the slaves heard of the revolution in 
France, and that the people had been successful in 
obtaining their just rights, they revolted against 
their masters and fought for their freedom. This 
bloody conflict was termed the " Horrors of San Do- 
mingo. ' ' Many of the exiles came to America, tak- 
ing up their residence in Philadelphia, at that time 
the largest city in the United States, and the capi- 
tal of the nation. All were cordially received by the- 
citizens of that place, who entertained very friendly 
feelings towards the French, on account of the as- 
sistance given by their country to the American 
Colonies during the Revolutionary War. 

General Lafayette, Viscount Louis de Noailles, 
and other French officers, had come over and volun- 
teered to serve in the army under General Washing- 
ton. The houses of native Americans were opened 
to the exiles, as were the houses of their own coun- 
trymen, like Stephen Girard, the wealthy merchant, 
who had long been a resident of the city. However, 
so great was the number of the refugees it was 
deemed by their leaders and themselves necessary 
that some provision should be made for their settle- 
ment as a colony in the country where it was ex- 
pected more refugees would come and where they 
would not be burdensome to their entertainers, and 
where they could enjoy more comfort and inde- 
pendence. 

The two most active and influential promoters of 
the colony scheme were the Viscount Louis Marie de 
Noailles, and the Marquis Antoine Omer Talon. The 
former, who was generally called "The Count" by 
Americans, was born in Paris, April 17th, 1756. 
Early in life he entered the military service of his 
country as an officer, and had received promotions 



18 A SHORT HISTORY OF ASYLUM. 

for good conduct. In 1779 he resigned his commis- 
sion in the army and came over with Gen. Lafayette 
and other French officers to assist the United States 
in obtaining- their independence. He was several 
times mentioned for bravery by Washington in bis 
general orders, and was one of the officers appointed 
by him to receive the surrender of Cornwallis at 
Yorktown. 

After the conclusion of peace he returned to 
France, and though he belonged to the nobility him- 
self, with a long line of titled ancestors, he became 
one of the most zealous and active advocates of the 
popular cause. He was a deputy of the nobility to 
the States General in 1789, and subsequently a mem- 
ber of the National Assembly, where on the 4th of 
August of that year, he proposed the celebrated acts 
by which the whole federal system, with its abuses 
and class privileges, was abolished. He was active 
in the re-organization of the army, colonel of a regi- 
ment, (the highest position he would accept), and 
Field Marshal of Sedan. At length, like many 
other zealous Eepublicans, he fell under the displeas- 
ure of Bobespierre, because he would not sanction 
nis policy of murder, was condemned to death and 
his property confiscated. He managed to escape to 
England and from there came to America, and took 
up his residence in Philadelphia, where he found 
many of the friends and acquaintances lie had met 
when serving in the army of the United States. 

Mr. Wansey, an Englishman who resided in Phil- 
adelphia during the time of the settlement at Aday- 
lum, wrote in his journal as follows: 

"June 8th, 1794. I dined this day with Mr. Bing- 



A SHORT HISTORY OF ASYLUM. 19 

ham, to whom I had an introduction. There dined 
with us Mr. Willing, president of the Bank of the 
United States, (the father of Mrs. Bingham), Mon- 
sieur Callot, the exiled Governor of Guadaloupe, and 
the famous Viscount de Noailles, who distinguished 
himself so much in the first Constituent National 
Assembly, August 4, 1879. He is now engaged in 
forming a settlement about sixty-five miles above 
Northumberland town. It is called "Asylum" and 
stands on the eastern branch of the Susquehanna. 
His lady, the sister of Madame Lafayette, with his 
mother and grand-mother, were guillotined without 
trial by that arch villian Robespierre." 

A French biographer states that " Noailles has 
become discouraged at the condition in France. The 
revolution had not been carried out as he expected 
and desired, and he resigned his commission in the 
army and went to England and thence to America 
of his own free will and accord." Then why did 
he not take his wife and two young sons along? Mr. 
Wansey lived at Philadelphia at the time of the 
French flight to that place, (and as he stated) had 
his information at first hand. (Mr. Wansey re- 
moved from Philadelphia to Towanda, Pa., previous 
to 1842.) 

At the accession of Napoleon Bonaparte to power 
as First Consul, de Noailles estates were restored 
to him, but he did not return with the other exiles. 
He was in partnership with William Bingham in 
the banking business, had probably sold his estates 
as he needed cash in hand in his business more than 
land. Bingham was the first United States senator 
from Pennsylvania. A Mr. Douglas states that de 
Noailles in 1803 went to Haiti on business and was 



20 A SHORT HISTORY OF ASYLUM. 

there persuaded by Kochambeau, (the French Gen- 
eral) to take the command of a fort besieged by an 
English squadron. When summoned to surrender 
de Noailles answer was: "A French general who 
has provisions, munitions and devoted soldiers, could 
not surrender without shame." He then got his 
men on board a ship in the night without being dis- 
covered, and went to Cuba. Soon afterwards he em- 
barked in a small ship with a company of grenadiers. 
They fell in with a British sloop of war — the "Haz- 
zard" — whose captain he deceived by displaying 
the British flag, and speaking excellent English. 
The British captain asked if he had seen anything 
of de Noailles, whom he was commissioned to i 
ture. De Noailles replied he was on the same er- 
rand. They sailed together and in the middle of the 
night de Noailles rammed the British vessel and 
then boarded it. After a long, bloody fight, in which 
he received a mortal wound, he captured the 
sel. He died a week later, off the harbor of Havana, 
Cuba. There is a doubtful story that his soldiers, 
by whom he was greatly beloved, enclosed his heart 
in a silver box and attached it to their flag. 

About 1791, Madame Laval, (whose husband had 
been executed) accompanied by her daughter, land- 
ed at Philadelphia. From thence, accompanied by 
their mechanics and laborers, she removed to Tren 
ton Point, now known as Lamogne. She had con- 
siderable money, bought land, and endeavored to in- 
duce French exiles to settle there, but the Asylum 
project of settling in the woods on cheap land, was 
now being so well advertised and so attractive, that 
Madame Laval's colony at Trenton Point did not in- 
crease much in numbers. 



A SHORT HISTORY OF ASYLUM. 21 

Marquise Antoine Omer Talon was born in Paris, 
Jan. 20th, 1760. He belonged to one of the most il- 
lustrious families of the French magistracy, or law 
judges. He was Advocate General, (or Attorney 
General) when the revolution of 1789 broke out and 
where he did his duty as an able lawyer, and was 
distinguished for his fearless defense of the royal 
prerogatives. In 1790 he was compromised in the 
flight of the King, Louis XVII, was arrested and 
imprisoned for a month. His loyalty to the King 
angered Robespierre and his conclave, and his ar- 
rest for the second time was ordered. Knowing what 
his fate this time would be, he kept himself secreted 
for several months and fled to Marseilles, where he 
lay in hiding for several weeks. Here a young 
Frenchman (Bartholomew Laporte), who had been 
a wine merchant at Cadiz in Spain, and had his prop- 
erty confiscated, was desirous of getting to America, 
as was the case with Talon. They had become ac- 
quainted. There was an opportunity to embark in 
an English ship and Laporte and some friends put 
Talon into a large wine cask and carried him on 
board, where he kept concealed until the vessel sail- 
ed. On reaching England Talon engaged a passage 
for himself and Laporte to Philadelphia, where they 
arrived early in 1793, and where he was afterwards 
naturalized as a citizen of the United States. 

He had brought money, and his hospitality to his 
less fortunate countrymen was unbounded. When 
the settlement at Asylum had been determined upon 
he became one of its active promoters, and general 
manager. Talon and de Noailles had been political 
enemies in France, the one on the side of the people, 
and the other on the side of the King. Both were 



22 A SHORT HISTORY OF ASYLUM. 

now companions in exile and misfortune. They soon 
became warm personal friends and co-workers in 
the colony enterprise. They joined heartily in the 
plan to buy lands on the Susquehanna and secure a 
home for their unfortunate countrymen, who had 
fled from the* terrors of the guillotine, with but lit- 
tle money, and whose estates had been confiscated. 

The first land purchase company with which 
Noailles and Talon had been connected,, after having 
been once altered, was entirely dissolved on account 
of the financial failure of Robert Morris and .John 
Nicholson, after which Noailles and Talon formed 
a new company, retaining- a large body of land in 
Bradford, Sullivan, Lycoming and Luzerne coun- 
ties. LTnimproved lands in Pennsylvania were cheap 
in those days, only a few cents per acre, but land 
titles were very insecure, owing to the conflicting 
claims of Pennsylvania and Connecticut for Juris- 
diction. In the organization of the new company, 
October 26th, 1801, Noailles was to manage its con- 
cerns in Philadelphia, and Talon to superintend the 
affairs at Asylum, for which he was to receive three 
thousand dollars a year as his salary. 

The building, and other necessary expenses of the 
establishment, were to be paid by the company. 



A SHORT HISTORY OF ASYLUM. 23 

CHAPTER II. 

M. BOULOGNE SELECTS SITE FOR TOWN. 

[UT CHARLES FELIX BEU BOULOGNE, who 
I T I had been a lawyer in Paris, and could speak 
\^ the English language fluently, and Adam 
Hoops, who had been a Major in General Sullivan's 
army, and had passed up the river in 1779, and was 
acquainted with the Susquehanna Valley from 
Wilkes-Barre to the State line of New York, sent 
on a tour of observation up the river to select 
a suitable place for the proposed settlement. They 
carried the following letter, dated August 8th, 1793, 
from Robert Morris, who had managed the financial 
affairs of the United States with great wisdom and 
success during the Revolutionary war, and was 
supposed to be very wealthy. He was now a sen- 
ator of the United States. His letter was addressed 
to Matthias Hollenback, Wilkes-Barre, Pa., and to 
others to whom Mr. Boulogne and Mr. Hoops may 
apply: 

"Should Mr. Boulogne find it necessary to purchase pro- 
visions or other articles in your neighborhood for the use of 
himself and his company, I beg you will assist him therein, 
or should you supply him yourself and take his draft on this 
place, you may rely that they will be paid, and I will hold my- 
self accountable. Any service it may be in your power to 
render this gentleman, or his companions, I shall be thankful 
for, and remain 

Sir Your Ob't Servant, 

ROBERT MORRIS. 
To Mr. Dunn at Newtown, 
Messrs. James Tower & Co., at Northumberland. 

Or to any other person to whom Mr. Boulogne, Mr. Adam 
Hoops and the gentlemen in their company may apply, also to 
Matthias Hollenback, Esq., Wilkes-Barre. 

(This letter of credit was endorsed on the back as fol- 
lows) : "I do hereby certify that the within letter is a true 



24 A SHORT HISTORY OF ASYLUM. 

copy of the original which is in my hands, as witness my hand 
this 27th day of August, A. D. 1793." 

MATTHIAS HOLLENBACK. 

I have not copied their spelling lest some reader 
might think they were not well educated. Their 
spelling was correct for the time in which they 
wrote. 

Boulogne and Hoops struck across the country 
from Philadelphia to Northumberland, and thence 
followed up the North Branch of the Susquehanna 
to Wilkes-Barre, where they arrived August 1^7, 
1793, and delivered the Morris letter of credit to 
Matthias Hollenback, who had several stores and 
trading posts along the river up to Tioga Point. The 
letter is still in the possession of the Hollenback 
family. 

After a careful examination of different localities, 
Mr. Boulogne and his party selected the Schufeldt 
flats, now called Frenchtown, in the township of 
Asylum, nearly opposite the Rummerfield station 
on the Lehigh Valley Railroad, for the settlement. 
The flats were named after Peter Schufeldt, a Pala- 
tine emigrant, who had come from the Mohawk re- 
gion and settled there for a short time, and then 
went to Tulpehocken in Berks county, where Con- 
rad Weiser and other Germans from the Mohawk 
valley had settled. 

The location of Schufeldt flats was satisfactory to 
the French, only on the condition that all the set- 
tlers on it could be bought out, and that both the 
Pennsylvania, and Connecticut titles could be se- 
cured at a reasonable price. Judge Hollenback ob- 
tained the Connecticut title, and Mr. Morris the 
Pennsylvania claim. 



A SHORT HISTORY OF ASYLUM. 25 

The names of settlers holding Pennsylvania 
patents were discovered by Mr. J. A. Biles, a sur- 
veyor, who has been an indefatigable investigator of 
land titles, and of facts concerning the French settle- 
ment at Asylum. The names are as follows: Archi- 
bald Stewart, William Nicholson, David Lindsay, 
Robert Stevens and John Bowne (or Bohem). The 
prices paid for the 300 acre lots varied from $133 
to $800. The difference in prices depended upon 
the value of the improvements. 

In the early part of October, 1793, Mr. Boulogne 
purchased the possession of Simon Spalding at the 
lower end of Standing Stone, who then removed to 
Sheshequin. Boulogne took the deed in his own 
name and lived on the place. There was not mud? 
chance for the settlers on the lands to charge exor- 
bitant prices for their possessions. In case they 
had only the Connecticut title, Mr. Morris would 
alarm them with a writ of ejectment. If they had 
the Pennsylvania title, Mr. Hollenback would show 
them that their lands were within the boundaries of 
one of the seventeen townships in which only the 
Connecticut title was good, and would hold the land. 
Under date of October 9th, 1793, Mr. Morris wrote 
to Mr. Hollenback as follows: 

"Sir: I rec'd your letter of Sept. 14th, and also one from 
Mr. Talon and forwarded them both to him for his information 
and consideration. The one addressed to him he has returned 
with his observations, but that which was directed to me he 
has neglected to send back, so that if I omit to answer any 
points contained in it you must excuse me, as I cannot do it 
from mere memory. Messrs, de Noailles and Talon desire to 
make the purchase of the eight lots, or tracts, that compose 
the tracts of land called "the Standing Stone," and also the 
island, or islands, which they mentioned to you, but they will 
have all or none. This they insist on as an absolute condition, 



26 A SHORT HISTORY OF ASYLUM. 

as you will see by a copy of their observations on nine articles 
extracted from the contents of your letter to Mr. Talon. 

"They do not object to the prices or terms of payment 
stated in your letter, but you will perceive by their decision to 
have all or none, that it will be necessary to make conditional 
contracts with each of the parties, fixing the terms, and bind- 
ing them to grant conveyances of their right upon the perform- 
ance of the conditions by you, on your part, but reserving to 
yourself for a reasonable time to make the bargain valid, or to 
annul it. If you can get the whole of them under such cove- 
nants, under hand and seal, you can then make the whole valid 
and proceed to perform the conditions and take the convey- 
ances in the name of Mr. Talon, but should any of these parties 
refuse to sell or raise in their demands so that you cannot com- 
ply with them, you can in such case hold the rest in suspense 
until Mr. Hoops or you send me an express to inform me of all 
particulars, which will give my friends an opportunity to con- 
sider and determine finally. 

"Mr. Adam Hoops will deliver this letter. He possesses my 
confidence and will be glad to render the best assistance, or ser- 
vice in his power upon occasion. He must, however, act under 
you for in any other character, the Connecticut men would 
consider him a new purchaser, and rise in their demands^ He 
will go with you if you choose, or do anything you may desire 
to accomplish the object in view. You and he will, therefore, 
consult together as to the best mode of proceeding, and I must 
observe that although Mr. Talon has agreed to the prices and 
terms demanded by the Connecticut claimants, yet I can not 
help thinking them very dear, and more so as we have been 
obliged to purchase the Pennsylvania title, which Mr. Hoops 
will inform you of. I hold it then as incumbent on you to ob- 
tain the Connecticut rights on the cheapest terms that is possi- 
ble, and you may, with great propriety let them know, if you 
think best to do so, that unless they will be content with rea- 
sonable terms th^t we will bring ejectments against them, or 
rather that you will do it and try the strength of title, in which 
case they will get nothing. 

"Whatever you do must be done soon. Winter is approach- 
ing, and these gentlemen are extremely anxious to commence 
the operations necessary to the settlement they intend to make, 
but they will not strike a stroke until the whole of the lots are 
secured for them, and unless the whole are obtained they give 
up the settlement and will go to some other part of America. 

"I engage to make good the agreements and contracts you 
may enter into consistently with your letter of the 14th of Sep- 
tember last to Mr. Talon, and with his observations thereon, a 
copy of which Mr. Hoops will give to you if desired, and to en- 
able you to make the payments according to these stipulations 
which you may enter into in that respect. I shall also pay the 
order for a thousand dollars already given you on their account. 



A SHORT HISTORY OF ASYLUM. 27 

"The settlement which these gentlemen meditate at the 
Standing Stone is of great importance to you, and not only to 
you, but to all that part of the country, therefore you ought, for 
your own interest, and the intetrest of your country, to exert 
every nerve to promote it. They will be of great service to 
you, and you should render them disinterestedly every service 
possible. Should they fail of establishing themselves at the 
Standing Stone there is another part of Pennsylvania which I 
should prefer for them, and if they go there, I will do everything 
for them that I possibly can. 

"I am, Sir, your obedient humble servant, 

"ROBERT MORRIS." 
Matthias Hollenback, Esq., 

Wilkes-Barre, Pa. 

Mr. Morris frequently uses capital letters where 
they are not needed, and often makes the character 
"&" serve for "and;" mistakes which I have not 
copied. College graduates and members of Con- 
gress make mistakes when their minds are intently 
fixed on their subject. What the reader will wonder 
at is. his copious, diffusive style of writing, requiring 
twice the space necessary to make the subject equal- 
ly clear. 

All the lots were purchased in accordance with 
Mr. Morris' directions, and the conveyances legally 
executed early in 1794. On the 19th of October, 1793, 
Mr. Boulogne wrote from Standing Stone to Mr. 
Hollenback as follows: 

I received from Mr. Town the favor of yours, dated the 11th 
instant, and your boat also arrived here a few days after. All 
that was enumerated in your bill of lading has been delivered, 
and you are therefore credited on my account of 48 £, 10s, 2p, 
this currency. When you send me the price of the ox cart, 
cows, and bell, I shall do the same. The cows are exceedingly 
poor and hardly give any milk, but I hope they will come to, 
and therefore we will see one another on that account; but I 
cannot help observing to you that your blacksmith hath not 
treated us well. The chains and tools are hardly worth any- 
thing. The iron is so bad or tender, that it breaks like butter. 
I wish you to mention it to him for the future. The difficulty 
of having the buildings (finished) and a great many articles of 
provisions in proper time hath determined us, and the gentle- 



28 A SHORT HISTORY OF ASYLUM. 

men in Philadelphia, to lessen them, (the expense), and as 
Mr. Keating hath told you, the expenses will of course be lessen- 
ed, therefore I have not sent you the draft for $3000.00 which 
we spoke of when I was in Wilkes-Barre, and one of the gentle- 
jmen who will deliver you this letter is going to Philadelphia; 
if you are not gone will be very glad of your company. Will 
you see Messrs. Talon and de Noailles in that city and send, 
or bring their answer on things relating to the expenses? 

I will be obliged to you to deliver to the other gentleman 
who is coming back here directly as much money as you pos- 
sibly can, or the $1250.00 which remain in your hands for my 
draft on Robert Morris, Esq.; and you will take his receipt 
and charge it to my account. You may also make me debtor for 
the sum of 13 £ 17s 6d, which Mr. John Whitney hath given 
me for your account and of which you will dispose according 
to the note herein enclosed, having credited you here of the 
same. 

Esq. Hancock had not yet concluded his bargain with Gay- 
lord; and Skinner, you know is now of the greatest importance 
to have it concluded, as well as the one of Ross; otherwise it 
will stop me here, all at once the gentlemen in Philadelphia 
being determined to have the whole, or none at all, or to reject 
the whole purchase from Mr. Morris. 

In your letter you speak to me of having bought from Ross 
the house and part of the land; but you don't tell me the quan- 
tity of land. I hope you have concluded the whole; and beg 
of you to say something to me of that account in your letter 
and explain it well, because of your answer I shall either go on 
with the buildings or stop them immediately. 
I remain with esteem, Yours, 

CHAS. BUE BOULOGNE. 
(Postcript) 

Sir: In buying from Mr. Ross you must absolutely buy the 
crop which is in the ground. Everybody here is sorry you have 
not done it so, for the other purchase, because it keeps one year 
entirely without enjoying our property. 

I have received the cloth that was over Mr. Talon's boat; 
but you have forgot to send me by your boat the frying pan, 
salt, axes, &c, that Mr. Ross hath returned to you. Be kind 
enough to send by the first opportunity the sack of things he- 
longing to Mr. Michael, which by mistake I sent, or left, at 
your house." 

Toward the last of November he wrote to Mr. 
Hollenback to send up some Franklin stoves and 
pipe, since the weather had become so cold the 
masons could not build chimneys. Other letters in- 
dicate that during the whole autumn Mr. Boulogne 



A SHORT HISTORY OF ASYLUM. 29 

was engaged busily in making the needful arrange- 
ments for the reception of the colonists. Workmen 
were employed in building houses, repairing fences, 
on the cleared fields, and making other improve- 
ments. A large number of men were employed, as 
he speaks of wanting a thousand dollars to pay his 
workmen. 

About the middle of November, Mr. de Noailles, 
who continued to reside in Philadelphia, visited the 
place where the work was going on, which now took 
the name of Asylum, or "Azylum" (as the French 
pronounced it), and as the American residents also 
pronounced it for many years afterwards. The plan 
of the settlement was determined on, and the whole 
plan accurately surveyed into town, and outlying 
lots. A map of this French survey is still in exist- 
ence, but badly worn and yellow with age. Mr. 
John A. Biles, an experienced surveyor, has made 
an excellent copy, an impression of which is printed 
in this history. 

The lots purchased at Asylum contained ' 2400 
acres, and in addition the Asylum Company had se- 
cured a title to a large number of tracts of unim- 
proved, or "wild land" (as it was termed) in the 
counties of Bradford, Sullivan, Lycoming, and Lu- 
zerne, which were sold on liberal terms to actual 
settlers. The plan for the village was nearly a par- 
allelogram. Five streets were laid out running due 
north, and south; these were crossed at right angles 
by nine other streets, each street being 50 feet in 
width. Near the center of the plot was an open 
square containing about two acres. The middle 
street of the five streets was 100 feet wide, twice the 
width of the others. 



30 A SHORT HISTORY OF ASYLUM. 

Four hundred and thirteen house lots wore sur- 
veyed containing about an acre each. There were 
also on the west side adjoining the town, seventeen 
lots of five acres each,- and fifteen lots of ten aero 
each, which were called town lots. One hundred 
thousand acres of wild land were purchased by sub- 
scription on the Loyal Sock creek, now Sullivan 
county, 2500 acres of which were divided into town 
shares of 400 acres each. When any part of this 
land was cleared by a subscriber, he received nine 
dollars per acre out of the common fund. "Fabul- 
ous sums were anticipated," says Mr. Craft, in his 
history of Bradford county, from this land specula- 
tion. 

Mr. Boulogne bent all his energies to get the 
houses ready for the colonists in the early Spring, 
and was favored with mild weather which continued 
until nearly Christmas. The houses which were be- 
ing built were mostly two stories in height, built 
of hewn logs, squared on four sides and planed to 
make them fit closely together and for good appear- 
ance. They were roofed with pine shingles and all 
the houses had a good cellar under the dining room. 
In the interior they had good floors and general ly 
were papered. To the native Americans their 
houses looked like palaces. Their good doors, large 
glass windows and shutters, and piazzas, or porches, 
were regarded as extravagant. A few of the resi- 
dents had some furniture that came from France, 
and all had their houses better furnished than most 
of the "Yankees." The settlers in Bradford Coun- 
ty, having come mainly from Connecticut, were so 
called by the French. 

The house built by Talon was the most pretentious 



A SHORT HISTORY OP ASYLUM. 31 

of any in the village and was said to be the largest 
log house ever built in America. It was generally 
known as "La Grande Maison" or the great house. 
It was built of hewn logs like the others, with 
shingle roof. It was about 84 feet long and 60 feet 
wide, two stories high, with a spacious attic. There 
were four stacks of chimneys and eight fire places 
on each floor. The windows were all square, with 
small panes of square glass. There was no hooded, 
or fancy work about the windows. On each floor 
there was a hall from 8 to 12 feet wide, running the 
entire length of the building, with outside doors at 
each end. There were three rooms on the side next 
the river, and four on the other. The four rooms 
were of equal size. On the river side the middle 
room was twice the size in length of the others, and 
extending into the hall, with double doors set cross- 
wise on each corner, opposite of each was a broad 
flight of stairs leading to the upper story. In each 
end of this room were fire places, one much larger 
than the other. "So large indeed," Mrs. Louise 
Murray says in her history, ' ' that when it was used 
by the Laportes, after the colony had been broken 
up and the house vacated, oxen were used to draw 
back-logs right into the room." These big fire places 
were common in those days. In the center of the 
side was a double door with the upper half set with 
small panes of glass. On each side of this door were 
very large French windows, reaching from the floor 
nearly to the ceiling. Boards, planed and matched, 
were used for ceilings and walls instead of lath and 
paster. Most of the wood work was planed, but un- 
painted. The stairs had rails and posts of black 
walnut. This house was built for Talon and occu- 



32 A SHORT HISTORY OF ASYLUM. 

pied by him. It stood on lot No. 418 just north of 
the house now standnig built by Judge Laporte in 
1839, now owned by the Hagerman family. 

The big house in which Talon resided was torn 
down in 1846. Traces of the foundation are still to 
be seen. Mrs. Murray says, "As long as it stood the 
large room was called the "French ladies' drawing 
room," where doubtless were gathered all the 
famous visitors to the colony, and here Talon's gen- 
erous hospitality was dispensed." 

Some houses were built on the bank of the river 
for slaves. A few of the exiles had been residents 
of San Domingo at the breaking out of the slave in- 
surrection and had fled from the "Horrors of San 
Domingo" to the United States, and joined the 
colony at Asylum. They soon learned that they 
could not hold their slaves in Pennsylvania, and the 
slaves were not long in finding out that here they 
were free, and took "French leave" by leaving their 
masters. One forsaken master was greatly aggriev- 
ed at the loss of a slave, and endeavored to recover 
him. He addressed the following letter to Mr. Hol- 
lenback : 

"Asylum, April 1st, 1796. 

Sir: I hope you will not take it ill if I address myself to 
you, and claim your assistance. A negro man about 20 years 
of age, stoutly built ran away from my house night before last. 
He can hardly speak a word of English. He took away a new 
axe, a couple of new shirts, several pairs of linen, and cloth 
trousers, two blankets, and had a hat with a blue ribbon. He 
says he is free, though he is bound for no less than fourteten 
years. I would take it as a great favor if you would be so kind 
as to have him advertised. I will give five dollars reward, and 
pay all reasonable charges. If in return I could be of any ser- 
vice to you, please to dispose of your 

Very obedient, humble servant, 

"LARONE." 

The binding for 14 years must have been in accordance with 
some law of San Domingo. 



A SHORT HISTORY OF ASYLUM. 33 

A large number of men were employed in clearing 
land and buiding houses. Some of the mechanics 
came np from Wilkes-Barre, but ordinary labor was 
plentifully supplied from the surrounding country. 
Much of their supplies of building materials and 
provisions for workmen were sent up in boats by 
Judge Matthias Hollenback. The distance by the 
crooked river from Wilkes-Barre to Asylum was 
about 75 miles, and it required four or five days to 
make the trip. By the nearest road on the west side^ 
of the river the distance 'was not more than 59 miles. 



J*l 



CHAPTEE III. 

THE REFUGEES ARRIVE AT ASYLUM. 

H, TALON arrived at Asylum the 9th of De- 
cember and took charge of the business. 
Work was carried on until the 21st of De- 
cember, when the weather became so cold that the 
operations were suspended until the following 
spring. Several houses had been completed except 
chimneys, and for these Franklin stoves and pipe 
had been substituted so that the winter was spent in 
comfort by those already in the settlement. A quan- 
tity of goods . and supplies for the place had been 
sent from Philadelphia to Catawissa and were 
brought up in boats after the ice commenced run- 
ning in the river. When spring opened work was 
resumed at Asylum, and emigrants who had spent 
the winter in Philadelphia began to arrive. They 
came by land to Catawissa and thence in boat up 
the river. Of these, says Mr. Craft, the historian, 
"some were of noble birth; several had been con- 



34 A SHORT HISTORY OF ASYLUM. 

nectecl with the King's household; a few be- 
longed to the Secular clergy, i. e. had not as- 
sumed monastic vows; some had been soldiers; 
others keepers of cafes, or restaurants, and mer- 
chants." It was a discouraging prospect for these 
city bred people to take up their residence in log 
houses far away in the woods of northern Pennsyl- 
vania in a clearing full of stumps and no roads that 
any team but oxen could safely travel. However, 
they soon improved their land, and made themselves 
comfortable. Mr. Talon, who was general manager, 
and governor, planned improvements on a large 
scale. 

At this time there was no mill in Bradford county 
that could make bolted flour. There were some 
small mills that ground corn into meal. There was 
no stream in Asylum large enough to drive a mill, 
a grist mill driven by horse power was erected. The 
mill stones, which were composed of the Lacka- 
wanna flint rock, were brought up from Wilkes- 
Barre. These flint rocks supplied mill stones for 
country mills for a long time before the French bur 
mill stones were manufactured. For a bolting cloth 
one of the ladies donated a new silk dress which had 
never been worn, and it answered the purpose ex- 
tremely well, though the meshes were rather too 
fine to take out all the flour. Only the finest and 
whitest was gotten out. 

The nearest store to Asylum was Judge Hollen- 
back's establishment at Tioga Point (now Athens), 
nearly 30 miles distant. Two general stores were 
established and well patronized at Asylum. They 
kept a larger and more varied assortment of goods 



A SHORT HISTORY OF ASYLUM. 35 

than could be found at any store north of Wilkes- 
Barre. 

The colonists cleared up their lots, beautified 
their lawns with flowers and shrubs, raised good 
gardens and made their homes more attractive than 
their American neighbors were accustomed to see. 
Blacksmiths, carpenters, weavers and laborers were 
brought to the place, for well they knew that it is 
laborers who build up and support the towns. The 
romance of the settlement, the reputed wealth and 
distinction of the settlers, their refinement, the well 
filled stores, the skill of the mechanics who had 
gathered there, brought many visitors here from 
abroad out of curiosity. To accommodate these 
strangers who came among them, as well as some 
of their own citizens who had no families, three 
taverns were licensed, though two would have been 
enough. Mr. Lefevre was licensed in August, 1794, 
by the court of Luzerne county to keep an inn. In 
January, 1795, a like license was granted to M. 
Heraud, and in April, 1797, to Peter Eegnier and 
John Becdelliere. 

The services of the Catholic Church were observed 
by the Secular clergy. It is said there was a small 
chapel erected. The missal in use was afterwards 
in the possession of the Rev. Patrick Toner,formerly 
a Roman Catholic priest at Towanda, Pa. 



36 A SHORT HISTORY OF ASYLUM. 

CHAPTER IV. 

THE D'AUTREMONTS. 

IN September, 1792, a few French exiles settled at 
the "Butternuts," a few miles above Bingham- 
ton, N. Y. Among them were Madame Marie 
Jeanne d'Ohet d'Autremont, whose husband had 
been guillotined by the Revolutionists in Paris. Her 
three sons, Louis Paul, aged 22; Alexander Hubert, 
aged 16, and Augustus Francois Cecile, aged 9; 
Madame d' Autremont's brother-in-law, Antoine 
Bartholomay Louis Lefevre, and W. Prevost were 
residents of the same place. Their surroundings 
being unpleasant, and an Indian reservation being 
located near by, they decided to remove to Asylum. 
In 1794, Mr. Talon sent up a boat and brought the 
whole colony down. Wherever the French exiles 
happened to be when they heard of Asylum, they 
turned their steps towards the place. 

September 25, 1794, James Montule wrote to 
Judge Hollenback as follows: 

"The following articles, I hope, you will be so kind as to 
secure in your store, to be forwarded to Asylum to Mr. Keating 
by the first opportunity, as I intend to move up very soon with 
a part of my family." 

He described his effects as consisting of three 
chests covered with "leather and skin." Two 
chests of plain wood, and a large bundle of bedding, 
also two good horses, one of which was blind, both 
of which he wanted to sell. 

These Frenchmen understood the value of good 
roads. They improved the roads leading to Asylum, 
laid out a road to Dushore, and opened it as far as 
Laddsburg. A settlement was begun in the south 



A SHORT HISTORY OF ASYLUM. 37 

end of Terry township not far from New Era, where 
two large houses were begun for the reception of 
the King and Queen of France who had been de- 
throned, and whom they supposed would be allowed 
to leave France. The news of their execution put 
a stop to their work. Clearings were begun in the 
vicinity of New Albairy and at Laddsburg. Near 
New Albany the frame of a sawmill was erected, 
made of oak timber, every stick of which was planed 
— which showed how fond they were of good looks — 
for they knew as well as anybody "that the planing 
would not make the mill cut one single foot more of 
lumber, nor last a day longer before rotting down. 
The mill irons were brought on the ground, but 
never put in place, because the news from France 
indicated the probability of their return to their 
beloved country. They loved beer, or expected to 
sell it, as they built a brewery on a little stream 
that crosses the road near the (later) Gilbert home- 
stead. 



CHAPTER V. 

HOUSES AND GARDENS DESCRIBED. 

HE following description of one of the houses 
at Asylum no doubt describes most of the 
others. It was No. 416-417 and belonged 
to Miss Seybert. It was a "log house 30x18 feet, 
covered with nailed-on shingles. The house is di- 
vided into two lower rooms and two in the upper 
story. The lower ones are papered. On both 
sides of the house stand two small buildings of the 
same kind; one is used for a kitchen, the other be- 



38 A SHORT HISTORY OF ASYLUM. 

ing papered, is commonly called the dining room. 
Both these buildings have good fire places, and are 
one and a half stories high. Three rooms in the 
biggest house have fire places. The two side build- 
ings and the other are joined together by a piazza. 
There is a good cellar under the dining room. The 
yard is enclosed by paling fence, the palings nailed 
on. The garden has a like fence with a good double 
gate. A constant stream of water runs through the 
garden. Over the spring, a spring house has been 
erected which is divided into two rooms, one of them 
being floored. The garden is decorated by a consid- 
erable number of fruit trees, young Lombardy pop- 
lars and Weeping Willows. The garden also con- 
tains a latticed summer house. Next to the gar- 
den is a nursery of about 900 apple trees. The 
lower part of the lot forms a piece of meadow 
of about eight acres enclosed by a post, and 
rail fence. On the same lot stands a horse grist 
mill, which is 40 feet long and 34 feet wide. Part 
of the lower story is contrived into a stable for the 
mill horses and a cow stable. Part of the upper 
story is used to keep fodder. The mill is double 
geared, and in complete order, being furnished with 
a good pair of stones, good bolting cloth, and in one 
corner stands a good fire place. Above the mill runs 
a never failing spring which waters a great part of 
the meadow. ' ' 



A SHORT HISTORY OP ASYLUM. 39 

CHAPTER VI. 

DUPETITHOUAR, FOUNDER OF DUSHORB. 

ONE of the most distinguished and popular resi- 
dents of Asjdumhad the long name of Aristide 
Aubert Dupetithouar. He had been a post cap- 
tain in the French navy and was usually called * ' The 
Admiral." He could speak English better than 
many of the others, was of a frank, generous dispo- 
sition, friendly and sociable with Americans, was 
the one liked the best, and longest remembered by 
them. He was born in 1760, educated at the mili- 
tary school in Paris. He was in the French naval 
service in the war with Great Britain and had lost 
one of his arms in battle and had been retired with 
a pension. Later he became greatly interested in 
the fate of the missing navigator, Laperouse, and 
in company with his brother fitted out an expedition 
on their own account to search for the missing ship. 
He sailed in September, 1792, but a fatal malady 
broke out among his crew, and one-third of them 
died. He then put into the nearest harbor, which 
was on the island Ferdinand de Noronha, belonging 
to Portugal where his vessel was seized, and he was 
sent a prisoner to Lisbon. The French Revolution 
had broken out; as he belonged to the aristocracy; 
had served under King Louis XVI, who had been 
dethroned; France would not be a safe abode for 
him, and as soon as released at Lisbon, came to 
America. Landing at Philadelphia he became ac- 
quainted with de Noailles, who persuaded him to go 
to Asylum, where he arrived October 29th, and as 
he was almost penniless, he immediately asked for 



40 A SHORT HISTORY OF ASYLUM. 

work, of which there was a pressing need in build- 
ing houses for the exiles in Philadelphia who 
wanted to come in the spring, in time to make gar- 
den. He was given work by Boulogne, the Super- 
intendent, and did as much with his one arm as the 
other laborers with two. His conduct was a fine 
example of what a brave man, with a stout heart, 
can endure with cheerfulness when overwhelmed 
with misfortunes. He had earned enough in help- 
ing to build houses to pay for 400 acres of wild land 
where the village of Dushore now stands, and where 
he commenced a clearing, wielding the axe with one 
hand. It was at the request of Charles F. Welles 
of Wyalusing, that the village was named Dushore 
in honor of the brave Frenchman who had made the 
first clearing. The story of his giving away his 
shirt to a man who claimed to have been robbed of 
all his clothing by the Indians, is no doubt pure 
fiction. When the Duke de Rochefoucauld and M. 
Blacon visited Asylum and Niagara Falls in 1795 
Dupetithouar accompanied them. The two visitors 
went on horse-back and he on foot, keeping up to 
the horses during the whole journey. He declared 
he had rather walk than ride, but probably he was 
not able to buy a horse. When order was restored 
in France he was among the first to return to his 
native country where he was recommended by the 
foremost naval officers (who knew his former ser- 
vice) for a commission in the navy. On presenting 
himself to the Minister of Marine, (or secretary of 
the navy), was told that he could go on the retired 
list, as he had lost an arm in service. His reply 
was: "I have given one hand for France, and here 
is the other for her service." He was given a com- 



A SHORT HISTORY OP ASYLUM. 41 

mission and placed in command of the Letonant, an 
old vessel of 80 guns, which was one of the fleet that 
conveyed Bonaparte's army to Egypt, and which a 
short time after was annihilated by the British fleet 
under Nelson at the battle of Nile. Dupetithoaur 
managed his ship with great skill, but was killed 
just at the close of the battle August 1, 1798. 



CHAPTEE VII. 

HABITS AND AMUSEMENTS. 

r J\ MONG the ablest and most active promoters 
L\ of the colony was John Keating, an Irishman, 
\ but whose ancestors were English Catho- 
lics who emigrated to Ireland on account of religious 
persecution at the hands of Queen Elizabeth and 
Oliver Cromwell. In Ireland they had fought 
against England and had to go to France for safety. 
At the beginning of the Eevolution, John Keating 
was in San Domingo, and on the breaking out of the 
insurrection there, came to Philadelphia with only 
$280 in his pocket. Like Noailles, he was attracted 
mainly by benevolent motives instead of a desire to 
speculate in land. After the abandonment of the 
colony at Asylum he became associated with de 
Noailles in a land purchase in Tennessee and also in 
northern Pennsylvania. Shortly after the breaking 
up of the colony he married Eulalie Deschampelles, 
the daughter of a prominent planter from San Do- 
mingo of French lineage, and resided at Philadel- 
phia until his death at the age of ninety-six. 

It is probable that no place in America ever held 



42 A SHORT HISTORY OF ASYLUM. 

at one time, or in so short a time, so many per- 
sons of noble birth, or who became so distinguished 
afterwards. Some of them had been connected 
with the King's household, a few had been soldiers, 
and army officers; a few had been the keepers of 
cafes (restaurants) and stores; three belonged to 
the Catholic priesthood; few, if any, had belonged 
to the laboring class, and none had been farmers. 
They were mostly Parisians by birth and residence, 
and were accustomed to the comforts, conveniences, 
refinements and pleasures of the gayest and most 
beautiful city in the world. They knew nothing 
about clearing land and raising crops, nothing about 
the toil and hardships to which the early settlers in 
a new. country, covered with woods, are exposed. 
They were to make a living by farming, but not one 
of them had ever been a farmer. In clearing land 
they did more chopping than there was any need of, 
chopping to an equal depth all around a tree, and 
have a man stand and watch which way it started 
to fall, and tell the chopper which way to run for 
safety when it fell to the ground. By chopping only 
on two sides, the tree would have fallen with less 
work, and the chopper could have told which way 
it would fall, or could have made it fall, usually in 
the direction he wanted it to fall. 

In some things the French showed remarkable 
foresight and economy. The tar from the pitch 
pines (of which there were many) was extracted 
and sold instead of being burned up with the wood 
in their log heaps. The ashes from the huge lire 
places and from the log-heaps was preserved and 
made into pot-ash. 



A SHORT HISTORY OF ASYLUM, 43 

These Parisians did not become regardless of per- 
sonal appearance after they became residents of the 
woods. No matter how plain the food on their 
tables, the ladies always came to dinner in full dress, 
and the men put on the best suit of clothes in their 
possession. Their American neighbors laughed 
about this, but it was entirely proper and praise- 
worthy. It showed respect for each other, promoted 
cheerfulness, and beguiled the solitude of their situ- 
ation. Although strangers in a strange land, they 
did not forget their French gaiety. They frequently 
spent the evening in each other's houses with music 
and dancing. In summer they congregated on the 
hill above the town which commanded a magnificent 
view of the valley, and here they frequently pic- 
nicked. Judge Jonathan Stevens, who knew them 
well, says: 

"Their amusements consisted of riding, walking, 
swinging, music, (and perhaps dancing), and some 
times they passed their time with cards, chess, or 
the back gammon board. In their manners, they 
were courteous, polite, and affable. In their living 
they followed their French customs. Breakfast 
late, on coffee, fresh meat, bread and butter. Din- 
ner at 4 o'clock. Drank best wine or brandy after 
dinner, ladies and gentlemen who chose, drank tea 
in the evening. (I speak of the wealthy). They 
were able to command the best of everything. One 
of their American choppers, or log cutters, stated 
that he was directed to fall a tree across a big stump 
so that when it was trimmed and the top cut off, it 
would balance like a pair of scales, and make a 
splendid teeter. Four or five persons could sit on 



44 A SHORT HISTORY OF ASYLUM. 

each end, eight, or ten could enjoy the pleasure at 
the same time. The same chopper states that sev- 
eral times he was sent a mile to cut trees that ob- 
scured a perfect view up and down the river." 



CHAPTER VIII. 

TOWN DESCRIBED BY A TRAVELLER. 

ISAAC WELD, JR., an Englishman, who had been 
traveling in Canada and the United States 
during the years 1795-1797, visited Asylum, and 
wrote in his journal as follows : 

"The whole way between Lochartzburg and 
Wilkes Barre are settlements on each side of the 
river at no great ditance from each other. There 
are also several towns on the bank of the river, the 
principal one is Frenchtown, situated will 1 in a short 
distance of the Falls of Wyalusing, on the western 
side of the river. The town was laid out at the ex- 
pense of several philanthropic persons of Pennsyl- 
vania, who entered into a subscription for the pur- 
pose as a place of retreat for the unfortunate emi- 
grants who fled to America from France. The town 
contains about 50 log houses, and for the use of the 
inhabitants a considerable tract of land has been 
purchased adjoining to it which has been divided 
into farms. The French who have settled here, 
however, seem to have no great inclination or ability 
to cultivate the earth, and the greater part of them 
have let their lands at a small yearly rent to Ameri- 
cans, and amuse themselves by driving deer, fishing 



A SHORT HISTORY OF ASYLUM. 45 

and fowling. They live entirely to themselves. 
They hate the Americans who live in the neighbor- 
hood, and the Americans hate them, and accuse 
them of being an idle, dissipated set. The manners 
of the two people are so very different it is impossi- 
ble they should ever agree. ' ' 

The Englishman was evidently prejudiced against 
the French. England and France had been at war 
so many times their people did not love each other. 
There were two classes of people in Bradford 
county at that time, the same as elsewhere in the 
world. Respectable Americans liked the French, 
who were courteous, polite and respectful, and the 
French liked Americans, who were intelligent, hon- 
est and upright. 

Hubert, son of Madame d'Autremont, married 
Abigail, daughter of Major Oliver Dodge of Terry- 
town, four miles below. Augustus Francois, an- 
other son of Madame d'Autremont, married Sarah 
Ann Stewart, an American girl. A Mr. Beaulieu 
also married an American wife. Surely these 
young Frenchmen of noble birth would not have 
been likely to marry into families they hated. 

Mr. Weld makes a mistake in his geography. He 
says: "Frenchtown is situated within a short dis- 
tance of the Falls of Wyalusing." The Falls of 
Wyalusing are in the river at the lower end of 
Quick's Bend, more than ten miles by (and on the 
nearest road), and not less than fourteen by the 
crooked river. The Wyalusing Falls, which Mr. 
Weld mentions, though not so long and rough, as 
the Conewago Falls, on the Susquehanna below Mid- 
dletown, or the Wells Falls on the Delaware river, 



46 A SHORT HISTORY OF ASYLUM. 

were great enough to be spoken of by some writers 
before Mr. Weld's visit. In 1750, Bishop Camerkoff 
and David Zeisberger, Moravian missionaries, who 
passed up the river in a canoe with an Indian guide, 
speak of Wyalusing Falls as being of considerable 
magnitude. Since then there have been some tre- 
mendous ice gorges in view at Quick's Bend, just 
below, which caused great dams, and when these 
dams started the ice tore out the rocks that made the 
falls, and drove them down the river into the deep 
water at Rocky Forest just below. At the present 
time instead of a short rough falls, we have a rift 
nearly a mile long. 

Mr. David Craft, the historian, in his pamphlet, 
* ' A Day at Asylum, ' ' says : ' ' Among the conspicu- 
ous characters at Asylum was Charles Felix Bue 
Boulogne. He was a native of Paris, and during 
our struggle for independence, became one of our 
enthusiastic admirers, and was one of that large 
number of young Frenchmen who came to this 
country with Lafayette, and offered us his services 
in the contest. After the war, having become pro- 
ficient in our language and acquainted with the 
country and its great advantages, he determined to 
remain in it. Boulogne bought on his own account 
the General Simon Spalding farm on the east side 
of the Susquehanna, where he probably lived, and 
where he died in 1795 or 1796, and was buried in the 
little consecrated ground on Broad street, at 
Asylum. ' ' 

Mr. Craft is generally very careful and accurate 
in his statements, but here he was mistaken. Charles 
Felix Bue Boulogne was drowned in attempting to 



A SHORT HISTORY OF ASYLUM. 47 

ford the Loyal Sock creek at Hillsgrove, July 20th, 
1796. The creek was very high at the time. His 
body was recovered and buried at Hillsgrove, Pa., 
it being the first burial in the cemetery. 



CHAPTER IX. 

TALLEYRAND VISITS ASYLUM. 

IN the fall of 1795, Talleyrand visited Asylum and 
remained some time. Afterwards he was Napol- 
eon Bonaparte's minister of Foreign Affairs, 
and became one of the ablest, shrewdest, most adroit 
and unscrupulous diplomatists in Europe. In 1796 
Louis Philippe, Duke of Orleans, (afterwards King 
of France) accompanied by the Duke Montpensier, 
and Count Beaujolais, his brother, came to Asylum 
and remained there some time, the guests of his for- 
mer Parisian friends. After visiting Niagara Falls 
and other places of interest, Louis Philippe went 
to Philadelphia where he remained several weeks. 
It is said that while there he proposed marriage to 
the beautiful daughter of Richard Willing, a wealthy 
gentleman, the President of the United States Bank. 
Mr. Willing told him: "In case you do not obtain 
your throne in France, you would not be able to sup- 
port my daughter in the manner to which she has 
been accustomed. If you should obtain it, my 
daughter would not be good enough for you. You 
would have to put her away and marry a King's 
daughter. ' ' 

Among the prominent residents while the colony 
existed, were persons of wealth, and who had held 



48 A SHORT HISTORY OF ASYLUM. 

high position in France. The Marquis Leucretions 
de Blacons was a deputy for Dorphine in the con- 
stituent Assembly. After leaving France he mar- 
ried Madam Selle de Maulde, late Canoness of the 
Chapter of Bonbourg. He kept a store at Asylum 
in partnership with Nancy Colin, formerly Abbe de 
Sevigny, an Archdeacon of Tours. M. Blacon re- 
turned to France and became a member of the 
National Assembly. M. Colin went to San Domingo 
and became a chaplain in the army of Toussaint 
1 'Overture, whose surrender was obtained by the 
treachery of General LeClerc (Bonaparte's general). 
Colin fled to Charleston, S. C, where he died. James 
Montule, a French baron, was captain of a troop of 
horse in the King's service. At Asylum he was 
superintendent of the clearings. His cousin, Madam 
de Seybert, whose husband died in San Domingo, 
lived near him in the upper part of the town. 

John Becdelliere had a store. His partners were 
the brothers, Augustine and Francis de La Roue, 
one of whom had been in the police service in Paris, 
the other a captain of infantry. They both returned 
to France with Talleyrand before the breaking up 
of the colony, and one of them became his private 
secretary. M. Becdelliere returned to France in 
1803. Dr. Lawrence Buzzard, a physician, who had 
been a rich planter in San Domingo, came with his 
wife, son and daughter, and settled in Asylum. 
Afterwards went to Cuba, where he died. Mr. John 
Brevost, a native of Paris, was interested with Mr. 
Dulong in the settlement at Butternuts, N. Y. He 
removed to Asylum where he became a farmer. In 
January, 1801, he advertised in the "Wilkes-Barre 




HON. JOHN LAPORTE. 

Son of Bartholomew Laporte, Sr. , 

who was one of the French Refugees- 



A SHORT HISTORY OF ASYLUM. 49 

Gazette ' ' that he intends to open a school at Asylum 
for teaching the French language. The price of 
teaching a child between the age of ten and sixteen 
years will be sixty bushels of wheat per year, to be 
delivered at Newtown, Tioga, Asylum, or Wilkes- 
Barre, at the place pointed out by the subscriber — 
one-half every six months. His school at Asylum 
proving a failure, he went to New Orleans, where 
his wife and daughter established a flourishing 
young ladies seminary. Peter Eegnier was an inn- 
keeper at Asylum, when the settlement broke up 
he returned to France where he remained two years- 
He disposed of some property he had there and 
transmitted a large sum of money to his partner in. 
Philadelphia. He returned to America and found 
that his partner had absconded to the West Indies,, 
taking his money with him, leaving Regnier and his; 
family destitute. He had good pluck and did not 
give up in despair. In a letter to Judge Gore, he 
says: "However, I keep up my spirits and trust 
in Providence, the only hope I can rely on. I have 
returned to this country with the intention never 
to quit it again, being of the opinion there is not a 
better one in the world. ' ' Mr. Aubrey, a blacksmith 
at Asylum, went to Philadelphia for surgical aid to 
remove a tumor from his neck, and remained there. 
Mr. Beaulieu, who had been a captain in the French 
army, married his wife in this country and remained 
here, but where he resided after leaving Asylum is 
unknown. Madame d'Autremont's oldest son, 
Louis Paul, who returned to France with Talleyrand, 
was an able man employed in government business. 
He was sent on missions to Portugal and to England. 



50 A SHORT HISTORY OF ASYLUM. 

He re-visited the United in 1832, but returned to 
France, where he died. He invested considerable 
sums of money in real estate in this country, but in- 
vestments in "wild lands" seldom prove profitable 
possessions. 

On the breaking up of the colony at Asylum. 
Madame d'Autremont with her two sons, went to 
the Butternuts, N. Y., where they had formerly re- 
sided, and soon after removed to Angelica, X. V.. 
where some of her descendants still reside, (1916). 
Here they were joined by Victor Dupont de Ne- 
mours, an exile, who subsequently removed to Dela- 
ware, where he and his brother established the 
largest gun powder manufactory in the United 
States, which is still conducted on an immense scale 
by their descendants. Madame d'Autremont died 
at Angelica, August 29th, 1809, aged 64 years. 
Alexander Hubert, who married the daughter of 
Major Oliver Dodge, died at Angelica, August 4th, 
1857. They had ten children, all of whom are dead. 
The other son, Augustine Francois Cecile, who mar- 
ried Sarah Ann Stewart, also had ten children. She 
died in Angelica in 1840, and he in 1860. The wife 
of Alexander Hubert died in 1866, (January 12th.) 

M. Charles Bue Boulogne, who had been the very 
active agent of the colony at Asylum, was drowned 
in attempting to ford Loyal Sock creek at Hills- 
grove, July 20th, 1796, and was the first person 
buried there, as stated on another page. 

In May, 1795, the Duke de Rochefoucauld de Lian- 
court, a French nobleman, visited the colony ami 
gave a very full account of it in his "Journey of 



A SHORT HISTORY OF ASYLUM. 51 

Travels in North America." At the time of his 
visit, he says: 

"Asylum consisted of about thirty houses in- 
habited by families from San Domingo, and from 
France, by French artisans, and even by Americans. 
Some inns (taverns) and two shops (stores) have 
' been established. Several town shares have been 
put in very good condition, and the fields and gar- 
dens begin to be productive. A considerable quan- 
tity of ground has been cleared on the Loyal Sock 
creek. The owner can either settle there himself 
or intrust it to a farmer. The sentiment of the col- 
onists is good. Each one follows his business — the 
cultivator, as well as the inn keeper, or tradesman, 
with as much zeal as if he had been brought up to 
it. The real farmers who reside at Asylum live upon 
the whole on very good terms with each other, be- 
ing sensible that harmony is requisite to render 
their situation comfortable and happy. They pos- 
sess no considerable property, and their way of life 
is simple. Mr. Talon lives in a manner somewhat 
more splendid than the others, as he has to entertain 
home seekers and visitors, and as he is obliged to 
maintain a number of persons to whom his assist- 
ance is indispensable. The price of the company's 
lands at present is $2.50 per acre. That in the town 
of Asylum fetches a little more. The bullocks which 
are consumed at Asylum are generally brought from 
the back settlements, but it is frequently found nec- 
essary to send thither for them. The grain, which 
is not consumed at Asylum, finds a market in 
Wilkes-Barre, and it is transported there on the 
river. In the same manner all kinds of merchandise 



52 A SHORT HISTORY OF ASYLUM. 

are transported from Philadelphia to Asylum. Tiny 
are carried in wagons as far as Harrisburg, and 
thence by barges up the river. The freight amounts 
in the whole to two dollars per hundred weight. 
(The freight from Wilkes-Barre was 51 cents per 
cwt). The salt comes from the salt houses at Gene- 
see, N. Y. Flax is produced in the country about 
Asylum. Maple sugar is made in great abundance. 
Each maple tree is reputed to yield from two to 
three pounds per year. Maple molasses and vinegar 
are prepared here and sold abroad. A considerable 
quantity of tar is made, and sold at four dollars per 
barrel, containing 32 gallons. Day laborers are paid 
five shillings per day. (Probably it was the "York" 
shilling, worth 12^ cents, as it was the shilling in 
general use at that time) . The manufacture of pot- 
ashes has been commenced at Asylum, and it is con- 
templated the brewing of malt liquors. A corn 
mill and a saw mill are building on the Loyal Sock. 
The new land company taught by the errors of 
the former, will no doubt make it their principal 
business to promote the prosperity of Asylum which 
alone can in any considerable manner increase the 
value of the land. The soil is tolerably good, and 
the climate healthful. Almost all the ingredients 
of a prosperous colony are found; in Asylum, and 
afford room to hope that these great natural ad- 
vantages will in time be improved for the Item lit 
and prosperity of the colonists. It will be neces- 
sary to construct new roads and repair old ones. 
If these things be done, Asylum will soon be peo- 
pled. Motives arising from French manners and 
opinions have hitherto prevented even French fami- 



A SHORT HISTORY OF ASYLUM. 53 

lies from settling here. These are now in a great 
measure removed, and if the company shall proceed 
with judgment and prudence, as it is to be hoped, 
there will scarcely remain in doubt that Asylum will 
speedily become a place of importance. Its situa- 
tion on the Susquehanna 200 miles from its source, 
fits it in a peculiar manner for an emporium for the 
inland trade. French activity supported with 
money will certainly accelerate its growth, and this 
in time, will convince the world that the enterprise, 
assiduity of Frenchmen are equally conspicuous in 
prosperous and adverse circumstances." 

The Duke also gives a list of the principal French 
residents at the time of his visit in 1795 as follows: 

" (1st) M. de Blacon, Deputy for Dauphine in the 
Constituent Assembly. Since quitting France he 
has married Madamoiselle de Maulde, late canoness 
to the chapter Bonbourg. They keep a haber- 
dasher's shop. Their partner is M. Colin, formerly 
Abbe de Sevigny, Archdeacon of Tours, and coun- 
seiller and grand conseil. (2nd) M. de Montule, 
late captain of a troop of horse, married to lady of 
San Domingo, who resides at present at Pottsgrove. 
(3rd) Madame de Seybert, a cousin to M. de Mon- 
tule, and relict of a rich planter of San Domingo. 
(4th) M. Bechdelliere, formerly a canon, now a 
shop-keeper. His partners are the two Messrs. de 
la Eoue, one of whom was formerly a petit gens d' 
armes, and the other a captain of infantry. The 
latter married a sister of Madame Seybert. (5th) 
Mademoiselle de Bercy, who intends establishing an 
inn on the road from Asylum to the Loyal Sock, 
eight miles from the former place, whither she is 



54 A SHORT HISTORY OF ASYLUM. 

on the point of removing with her husband. (6th) 
M. Beaulieu, former a captain of infantry in the 
French service who served in America during the 
late war in the legion of Potonsky. He has remained 
ever since in this country, has married an English 
lady, and now keeps an inn. (7th) M. Buzzard, a 
planter of San Domingo, and a physician in that 
country, who has settled at Asylum with his wife, 
daughter, son and some negroes, the remains of his 
fortune. (8th) M. de Noailles, a planter of San Do- 
mingo. (9th) M. Daudelot of Frenchcourte, late 
an officer of infantry, who left France on account of 
the Revolution, and arrived here destitute of prop- 
erty, but was kindly received by Mr. Talon, and is 
now engaged in agricultural pursuits with spirit 
and success. (10th) M. du Petithouar, an officer 
of the navy who, encouraged by the Constituent As- 
sembly, and assisted by a subscription, embarked 
in an expedition in quest of M. de la Perou|e. He 
was detained on the coast of Brazil by the governor 
of that colony, Fernando de Noriguez, and sent with 
his crew to Portugal, where he was very ill-treated 
by the Portugese government, stripped of all his 
property, and only escaped further persecution by 
fleeing to America, where he lives free and happy 
without property, yet without want. He is em- 
ployed in clearing about 200 or 300 acres of wood- 
land. His sociable, mild, and truly original temper 
and character are set off by a noble Simplicity of 
manner. 

"(11th) M. Nores, a young gentleman who em- 
barked with M. de Petithouar and escaped with him 
to this country. He formerly wore the Petit collet. 



A SHORT HISTORY OF ASYLUM. 55 

(or little band which was formerly a distinguishing- 
mark of the secular clergy in France) was a pupil 
of M. de la Capelle, possessor of a small priory, and 
now earns his subsistence by cultivating the ground. 
" (12th) John Keating, an Irishman, and late cap- 
tain of regiment of Welch. At the beginning of the 
Eevolution he was in San Domingo where he pos- 
sessed the confidence of the parties, but refused 
the most tempting offers of the commissioners of 
the Assembly; though his sentiments were truly 
democratic. It was his choice and determination to 
retire to America without a shilling in his pocket 
rather than to acquire power and opulence in San 
Domingo by violating his first oath. He is a man 
of uncommon merit, distinguished abilities, extraor- 
dinary virtue, invincible disinterestedness. His de- 
portment is grave but affable. His advice and pru- 
dence have proved extremely serviceable to M. 
Talon in every department of his business. It was 
he who negotiated the arrangements between 
Messrs. Morris and Nicholson, and it may be justly 
said that the confidence which his uncommon abili- 
ties and virtues inspire enables him to adjust mat- 
ters in dispute with much greater facility than most 
other persons. (13th) M. Benand, a rich merchant 
of San Domingo, has just arrived with his family 
and a very considerable property preserved from 
the wreck of an immense fortune. (14th) M. 
Carles, a priest and cannon of Guernsey, who re- 
tired to America with a small fortune, and who has 
now settled at Asylum. He is an industrious and 
much respected farmer. (15th) M. Brevost, a citizen 
of Paris, celebrated for his benevolence. He was a 



56 A SHORT HISTORY OF ASYLUM. 

member of all benevolent societies, treasurer of the 
Philanthropic Society, and retired to America with 
some property, a considerable part of which he ex- 
pended on a settlement he attempted to establish 
on the banks of the Chenango River, N. Y., but 
which did not eventually succeed. He now culti- 
vates his lot of ground on the Loyal Sock as if Ms 
whole life had been devoted to the same pursuit, 
and the cheerful serenity of a gentle, candid, phil- 
osophical mind still attends him in his laborious re- 
treat. His wife, and sister-in-law, who have also 
settled here, share in his tranquility and happiness. 
(16th) Madame d'Autremont, with her three chil- 
dren. She is the widow of a steward of Paris. Two 
of her sons are grown up. One was a notary, the 
other a watch maker, but they have now become 
hewers of wood, and tillers of the ground, and se- 
cure by their zeal, spirit, politeness and unblem- 
ished character the sympathy and respect of every 
feeling mind. 

''Some families of artisans are also established at 
Asylum and such as conduct themselves properly 
earn great wages. This cannot be said of the 
greater part of them. They, in general, are very 
indifferent workmen, much addicted to drunken- 
ness. In time they will be superseded by more 
valuable men, and American families of a better 
description will settle here, for those who reside at 
present are scarcely worth keeping. 

"One of the greatest impediments to the prosper- 
ity of the settlement will probably arise from the 
prejudice of some Frenchmen against the Ameri- 
cans unless self-interest and reason should prove 



A SHORT HISTORY OF ASYLUM. 57 

the means of removing them. These are frequently 
manifested with that inconsistent levity with which 
Frenchmen decide on things and persons of the 
greatest moment. Some of them vauntingly de- 
clare that they will never learn the language of the 
country or enter into a conversation with an Ameri- 
can. Whether particular facts and occurrences can 
justify this prejudice in regard to individuals, I will 
not affirm, but certain it is that they can never 
justify it in the latitude of general opinion. 

"A conduct founded on such prejudices would 
prove extremely hurtful to the interest of the colony, 
the progress of which has already been retarded by 
so many unfavorable obstacles that there is certainly 
no occasion to create new ones by purposely excit- 
ing the animosity of a people among whom the 
colony has been formed, and who, in the judgment 
of every impartial man, must be considered as in a 
state of less degeneracy than many European 
nations. 

i i rphe rea j farmers who reside in Asylum live upon 
the whole on very good terms with each other, be- 
ing duly sensible that harmony is requisite to render 
their situation comfortable and happy. They pos- 
sess no considerable property and their way of life 
is simple. M. Talon lives in a manner somewhat 
more splendid, as he is obliged to entertain a num- 
ber of persons, to whom his assistance is indispeu- 
sable. It is to be wished and hoped that the whole 
settlement may prove ultimately successful. A more 
convenient spot might have been chosen, but not to 
mention that all ex post facto judgments are unfair, 
the present situation of the colony appearing so 
advantageous as to warrant the most sanguine hopes 



58 A SHORT HISTORY OF ASYLUM. 

of success. Industrial families, without whom no 
settlement can prosper, must be invited to it, for it 
must be considered that however polished its pres- 
ent inhabitants may be, the gentlemen cannot so 
easily dispense with the assistance of the artisan 
and husbandman, as these can with that of the gen- 
tleman. A' speedy adjustment of the present difli- 
culties between Connecticut and Pennsylvania with 
the estates contiguous to the lands of Asylum would 
also prove a desirable and fortunate circumstance 
for the colony. None but persons of indifferent 
character are willing to settle on ground, the title to 
which remains in dispute. Even the small num 
of colonists we found between AVilkes-Barre and 
Tioga, are by no means praiseworthy in their morals 
and they are poor, lazy, drunken, quarrelsome, and 
extremely negligent in the culture of their lands. 
The valuable emigrants from Xew England who 
should be encouraged to settle here, will certainly 
not make their appearance till they can be sure of 
cultivating their lands without opposition and re- 
taining the undisturbed possession of their estates. 
It is, therefore, of the greatest importance to the 
company at Asylum that this weighty business 
should be speedily and finally adjusted. When 
that is accomplished, the company will undoubtedly 
embrace the earliest opportunity of advertising the 
whole million acres (they own). They will endeavor 
to combine separate estates with each other by pur- 
chasing the intervening lands. They will perceive 
how advantageous and important it is to place 
Asylum as it were in full activity by reconstructing 
the roads already projected and commenced; by es- 



A SHORT HISTORY OF ASYLUM. 59 

tablishing a school; by inviting industrious settlers 
and endeavoring to improve the breeds of horses 
and cattle; in short, by encouraging useful estab- 
lishments of every kind. 

' ' Everything in the settlement at present appears 
in a precarious condition. The price of provisions 
depends on a variety of fluctuating circumstances. 
By the activity and prudence of certain individuals 
the town is abundantly supplied with grain and 
meat, and their honest economy keeps provisions at 
a moderate price. But men of a less liberal way of 
thinking have it also in their power to occasion 
scarcity of the first necessaries of life, and raise their 
price to a rate beyond all proportion to that of other 
commodities. The information that I have been 
able to collect relative to the state of agriculture, 
however accurate at the present moment, can hardly 
be thought sufficient for the direction of a planter 
who should be inclined to settle here. The land 
behind the town is tolerably good. That on the 
banks of the river consists of excellent meadows, 
laid out by those who settled here before the pres- 
ent colonists, producing very good hay in consid- 
erable quantities, and they are capable of still fur- 
ther improvement. The price of the company's 
lands is at present $2.50 per acre. Very little of it, 
however, is sold. There is little doubt that the 
price will raise to $10 per acre. Hitherto the grain 
has suffered very little from the Hessian fly, or from 
blight. The winter here lasts from four and a half 
to five months. Both the oxen and cows are of the 
very indifferent sort, and little attention has yet 
been paid to the breeding of cattle. The land yields 



60 A SHORT HISTORY OF ASYLUM. 

about 15 to 20 bushels of wheat per acre; 60 bus. of 
corn, and three tons of hay per acre. In plowing, 
they generally employ oxen. They are sometimes 
driven to Philadelphia. ' ' 

In concluding his account of Asylum, the Duke 
says: "On our arrival at Asylum it was not our 
intention to have stopped more than four days in 
that place, but the pleasure of meeting with M. and 
Madame de Blacons, a desire to obtain a knowledge 
of the present state of the colony as well as the pros- 
pects of future improvement, and the cordial recep- 
tion we received from all its inhabitants, induced 
us to add four days to our stay, and in the whole we 
stopped twelve days. On Tuesday, the 2nd of June, 
we took our departure, Messrs. de Blacons and 
Dupetithouar joined our caravan. The latter, who 
traveled on t'oot, set out the preceding morning." 

The Duke was a copious, voluminous writer with 
a vocabulary abundantly stocked with excellent 
language, but it seems as if he might have made the 
record in his journal just as clear in fewer words. 
How T ever, we must honor him for giving us much 
information about the place and the people, which 
we would not have obtained from any other source. 

As the Duke intended to publish an account of 
his travels (which he did) he took extraordinary 
pains to get all the reliable information about the 
place, its people and their history that was possible. 

M. Becdelliere, one of the store keepers, was evi- 
dently generous and fond of children. He fre- 
quently gave candy and raisins to Abraham Vander- 
pool, a little boy four years old, which kindness was 
never forgotten by the boy. 



A SHORT HISTORY OP ASYLUM. 61 

CHAPTEE X. 

THE FIRST WEDDING. 

THE town covered 300 acres. The first build- 
ing erected after the dwellings were com- 
pleted, was a theatre, and the next a small 
log chapel. The first wedding was the marriage of 
M. de Blacons, late deputy in the Constituent Assem- 
bly, to Madame de Mauldee, late Canoness of Bom- 
berg. She had fled from France with Abbe de 
Sevigny. 

Alexander Wilson, author of American Ornithol- 
ogy, made a journey to Niagara Falls in 1804 and 
stopped at Asylum, where he wrote his impressions 
of the place in verse as follows : 

"Gauls exiled and royalists, a pensive train, 

Here raise the hut. and till the rough domain. 

The way-worn pilgrim, to their fires receive, 

Supply his wants, but at his tidings grieve. 

Afflicting news forever on the wing, — 

A ruined country and a murdered King. 

Peace to their lone retreat, while sheltered here 

May these deep shades to them be doubly dear, 

And powr's proud worshippers wherever placed, 

Who saw such grandeur ruined, and defaced 

By deeds of virtue to themselves secure, 

Those inborn joys that spite of Kings endure, 

Though thrones, and states, from their foundation part, 

The precious balm of a pure blameless heart." 

Mr. Wilson may have been an excellent describer 
of the feathered songsters and their songs, but he 
was not a good poet, and might better have extolled 
1 ' Gauls exiled royalists ' ' in prose. 

Chevalier de Pontgibauld, one of the young 
French officers who came over with General Lafay- 
ette and served in the American army, visited 
Asylum and wrote as follows : ' ' The most conspicu- 



62 A SHORT HISTORY OF ASYLUM. 

ous spectacle was to see these Frenchmen fallen 
from their greatness and now exercising some trade 
or profession. One day I entered a shop and found 
the proprietor to be a nobleman who had been a 
n;ember of The Constituent Assembly." 

When the purchase of the Schufeldt flats was con- 
cluded the deed of conveyance commenced as fol- 
lows: "Beginning at a remarkable rock on the 
west side of the Susquehanna river, known as the 
Standing Stone, and from thence, &c." The stone 
stands in the edge of the river on the west side. 
about one or two rods from shore. It is about 18 
feet high on the upper side, and 23 feet on the lower, 
and four feet thick. One corner has been broken 
off. It is said to have been done by General Sulli- 
van's army by firing a cannon ball at it when en- 
camped on the opposite side of the river. There is 
no doubt that the rock was loosened by some con- 
vulsion of nature, slid from the top of the mountain, 
struck on one end, sunk so deep into the mud and 
gravel that the ice floods have not been able to move 
it. 

At the end of the street leading directly to the 
river from the village, a wharf was built for load- 
ing and unloading boats, as the river at that time 
was the only public means of transportation. The 
roads were so execrably bad no heavy loads could 
be drawn on them, and oxen were used for teaming 
more than horses, for the reason that they were 
patient and slow to step over stumps and rocks, and 
wade through the mud. 



A SHORT HISTORY OF ASYLUM. 63 

CHAPTER XI. 

DISCOURAGING OBSTACLES. 

THERE is said to be a tradition in the d'Au- 
tremont family that after they found the 
title to their land at The Butternuts, N. Y., 
worthless, that Alexander d'Autremont followed 
Boulogne, who had gone to the West Indies on a 
business trip. Alexander 's mission being to recover 
their money. The vessel in which he, according to 
tradition, sailed, encountered a furious storm and 
was wrecked. He escaped to land but was attacked 
by yellow fever and nearly died. As soon as he re- 
covered he returned home, not having seen 
Boulogne. The story, no doubt, is pure fiction and 
there was never any such tradition in the d'Autre- 
mont family, as they knew Boulogne was not to 
blame. Land titles in the state of New York were 
as precarious as in Pennsylvania. Mr. Boulogne 
was the agent of Treat and Morris in selling their 
lands. He had examined their patent and deed, and 
believed their title was good. Alexander d'Autre- 
mont did not charge Boulogne with deception and 
dishonesty. They had been deceived by believing 
the reports that Asylum was a prosperous place to 
live and make money. In his letter to Mr. Boulogne, 
dated July 20th, 1795, he says: 

"Mr. Boulogne: 

"Sir: We have received the news of your arrival here with 
all the joy which you may heartily presume you could give us; 
but our joy would have been more felt if the circumstances in 
which we find ourselves would not force us to quit a place where 
we have been so cruelly deceived, and so unhappy, and that in 
the very moment we hear you have fixed your residence at 
Asylum. 

"From the very beginning of this letter you will say: 'It is 



64 A SHORT HISTORY OF ASYLUM. 

the crying bird that writes to me; but could it be possible to 
look on our situation with indifference, indebted as we are to 
you, without foreseeing when we will be able to pay. In such 
an horrid country as this, where we daily make an extravagant 
expense by the high price of all kinds of provisions, and all that 
without any benefit whatsoever, even success to our work; for 
after having spent much money for the portage of our effects 
on these lands we shall be obliged to transport them again to 
the town on account of the impossibility in which we are to 
live this winter in the woods for want of land in sufficient quan- 
tity sowed even to provide for our cattle. 

"In my last handed to you by Mr. Keating, I mentioned to 
you that the clearing was going on very slowly, that Mr. d'Mon- 
tule had made an undertaking above his strength, and that from 
the way they were going on, it appeared we should have noth- 
ing sowed this summer; my fears unluckily have been verified, 
for on the whole tract there are only 10 acres cleared by Brown's 
company of workmen, five of which belong to Mr. Montule, and 
five to Mr. Brevost, the latter not even ready, the logs being 
not yet burned. You'll be able to judge, and frightened at the 
same time, of the obstacles the settlers have to overcome on 
these new lands when you know that the clearing of an acre 
cost to the company near 30 dollars. To give you an idea there- 
of, you may readily calculate. There is a company of 10 men 
who are at work since the beginning of May on Mr. de Larone's 
land who will have nearly done in 15 days, and all that time to 
clear 11 or 12 acres of ground. From that it appears to me that 
Mr. de Larone's clearing will come to 36 dollars, thereabouts 
per acre. Everybody here is disgusted. Everybody talks of 
quitting; even Mr. de Montule, who says that if he could get 
one or two shilling profit on his purchase per acre, he would 
give up all idea of settling in this country. 

"Come, sir! come quick, come to re-establish confidence, 
for it is very low everywhere. Your arrival will doubtless cheer 
many people. As for us, except for the pleasure of seeing you, 
it is almost impossible that your residence here (our only wish 
last spring) could make us support with patience our misfor- 
tunes. It is high time not to trouble you any more of individuals 
that have always weighed very heavily upon you without being 
able to show you their gratitude. Don't believe that my com- 
plaints, and the resolution that my family hath taken of quit- 
ting forever this country, are the result of inconstancy or levity 
of our minds; but come here very soon, see and judge for your- 
self of our situation, and Mr. Brevost's is in the same resolution. 
If I was alone, far from complaining of my situation, 1 would 
laugh at it; but I have a mother who begins to be old, whom I 
cannot leave to herself, therefore I pass my young days in an 
occupation which will never give me a penny's profit. All that 
I foresee for me is to be forever ruined, and remain in the im- 
possibility of doing anything if I continue to stay on land that 
cost $30 per acre to clear. 




CHARLES HOMET, JR., ' 
Son of Charles Hornet, 
who was one of the French Refugees. 



A SHORT HISTORY OF ASYLUM. 65 

"Besides my personal sorrows, I must answer for a sum 
due by the company to one Fuller for some wheat which hath 
been delivered, and not paid to him. He hath obtained a writ 
against me as having contracted with him. All I could obtain 
was a delay which will be at an end the 18th of August, the sum 
amounts to four pounds ($20.) Esqr. Gore hath in his hands for 
60 to 70 dollars of your notes of hand. He remitted me a let- 
ter which is here inclosed, which explains the matter. If you 
have not sold your farm near Philadelphia, and if you have not 
engaged a farmer, and if it could suit you to take my family as 
farmers, I would accept with pleasure. 

"Waiting for the pleasure of seeing you, or hearing from 
you, I remain, x 1 

"D'AUTREMONT." "] 

Alexander d 'Autremont 's spelling is good. He 
frequently uses " & " for ' ' and, ' ' which was a usage 
quite general at his time. The letter from begin- 
ning to end is friendly to Mr. Boulogne. If they 
ever had a falling out it must have been after this 
letter was written (which was the 20th of July,. 
1795) for Mr. Boulogne was drowned July 20th,. 
1796, just one year afterwards. This letter throws; 
great doubt on the tradition that Alexander d 'Autre- 
mont followed Boulogne to the West Indies to re- 
cover money, and was there attacked with yellow 
fever after being shipwrecked. The letter shows 
clearly that the Duke de Rochefoucauld representa- 
tion of affairs was entirely too rosy and prosperous. 

In Mrs. Mary Mix Spalding's address, printed in 
the "Reporter- Journal" of Towanda, Pa., some 
years ago, it is said: "About the time Asylum was 
founded, another company attempted a settlement 
on the Chenango river a few miles above Bingham- 
ton, N. Y., at a place called "The Butternuts." One 
of their number, M. d 'Autremont, a man of consid- 
erable wealth, contracted for a tract patented to W. 
Morris containing 30,000 acres, upon which the set- 



66 A SHORT HISTORY OF ASYLUM. 

tlement was made. Log houses were built, and 
eight families moved upon the tract. The Indian 
reservation was in their immediate neighborhood. 
The Indians were friendly, and furnished them with 
venison, bear meat and wild turkeys. Their sur- 
roundings were unpleasant and they suffered many 
privations. To add to their discouragement, M. 
d'Autremont, on his way to Philadelphia, was 
drowned while fording a river on horseback." (I 
do not find this account of his death in any other 
history of Asylum. I have been of the opinion that 
he died in France; but as Mr. John W. Mix corres- 
ponded with C. d'Autremont, Jr., a descendant of 
Hubert, the statement may possibly be correct. 

Mrs. Murray, in her history, says of Hubert d'Au- 
tremont, as follows: "He was a Parisian royalist, 
evidently belonging to a family of importance, as 
evinced by his coat of arms and his intimacy with 
such prominent Frenchmen as Talleyrand, Dupont, 
and Baron Neville. Hubert is said to have been 
guillotined early in the Eevolution. " 

His widow, Marie Jeanne d'Ohet, with her three 
sons, Louis Paul, aged 22 ; Alexander Hubert, 16, and 
Augustus Francois Cecil, left France in 1792, their 
royalist principles making it unsafe for them to re- 
main there. In company with them came the fam- 
ily of her sister, Madame Lefevre, and others. They 
came to America and settled on land in Chenango 
previously contracted for in France from William 
W. Morris through his agent, Charles Felix Bue 
Boulogne." 

Mr. Craft, the historian, in his account is more 
■specific. He says: "Messrs. Malachi Treat and 



A SHORT HISTORY OF ASYLUM. 67 

William W. Morris secured the title to a tract of 
several thousand acres of land in Otsego county, N. 
Y., and gave to Mr. Boulogne a power of attorney 
dated June 16, 1791, to sell, and a commission to re- 
turn to Paris and dispose of land in such parcels as 
he could to those who were contemplating to escape 
the troubles of their own country by migrating to 
this. Having disposed to several parties a large 
part of this land, he sold to Madame d'Autremont 
and Mr. Lefevre each 300 acres to be surveyed to 
them in lots of 100 acres each. 

In applying for this passport, Mr. Lefevre found 
that he must divide his family. Half could come, 
and half must stay. It was arranged that one son 
and one daughter should accompany the father, and 
the other son and daughter remain with the mother. 
While waiting for the vessel to sail, the son who was 
to accompany the father, sickened and died. Mr. 
Lefevre then took the youngest daughter, Augus- 
tine (afterwards Mrs. Huff), cut her hair close, and 
dressed her in her brother's clothes, when the like- 
ness was sufficiently close to the lost boy to answer 
the description in the passport. Mr. Lefevre thus 
taking both daughters and leaving the son with his 
mother. While waiting at Havre he writes to his 
wife expressing the weariness and loneliness of their 
lives and adds "we are well. The two children 
send you a thousand kisses. The little girls speak 
every day of thee and their brother, and ask each 
time if I am writing to you. I beg of you to embrace 
my son. I talk every day of you to our little girls. ' ' 

There were many disagreeable and vexatious de- 
lays. One was the vessel drew so much water that 



68 A SHORT HISTORY OF ASYLUM. 

she could not be gotten over the bar at Havre, ex- 
cept with the favorable condition of a high tide. Mr 
Lefevre again writes to his wife, June 11, 1792: 

"We are in very great anxiety. I apprised you 
in my last letter that we were to leave at the end of 
the week. Sunday at noon, coming from Mass with 
the children we learned through Mr. Boulogne that 
we could not leave until a week from Tuesday — 
eight days — on account that the tide did not rise 
high enough." They sailed June 19th, 1792. On 
the 12th of September, the parties being in Phila- 
delphia, Mr. Boulogne, for a consideration of 5400 
livres, executed a deed for 300 acres of land to Mrs. 
d'Autremont, and for a like consideration a similar 
deed to Mr. Lefevre, both of which were acknowl- 
edged before the Associate Justices of the United 
Supreme Court. The party, accompanied by Mr. 
Boulogne, now set out for. their farms in the dense 
unbroken forests of central New York. It was 
about the first of October before they reached the 
end of their journey. Owing to the lateness of the 
season nothing could be done but build some kind 
of shelter for themselves until spring. 

In a bark covered, almost windowless log cabin, 
ander whose single room was kitchen, dining room, 
pantry, drawing room and parlor during the day, 
and for the night divided by hanging up blanket3 
into sleeping apartments, these two families, aggre- 
gating seven persons, who had been accustomed to 
the comforts and luxuries of a Parisian homo, and 
unacquainted with the rigors of our northern climate 
spent the winter of 1792-3. It was an experience 
that was remembered with a shudder bv every one 



A SHORT HISTORY OF ASYLUM. 69 

who participated in it. The Indians from a near-by 
reservation brought them provisions of various 
kinds, especially game taken in the hunt, otherwise 
they would have suffered from hunger. 

In the spring Mr. Lefevre made himself a shelter 
of sticks, bark and pine branches, while the d'Autre- 
mont boys built adjoining sheds to enlarge the ac- 
commodations of their little log house. But little 
could be done towards making clearings or getting 
in crops for the supply of their wants, and so passed 
the summer of 1793. Four other purchasers from 
Boulogne came this year. In the spring of 1794, 
Louis Paul d'Autremont went to Philadelphia to 
see if some more suitable place could not be obtained 
for their settlement. He stopped enroute at Asylum 
and made known to Mr. Talon the condition of his 
mother's and uncle's families. It was said of him 
that he "was among the first twenty-three refugees 
who visited Asylum that year looking for homes. 
Louis Paul d'Autremont at this time was about 20 
years old, could speak English, and was among the 
handsomest and most attractive men of his time. 
Mr. Talon, finding they wanted to come, sent a 
durham boat to The Butternuts and brought the 
families down to Asylum, where they arrived early 
in the summer of 1794. About the time of their ar- 
rival at Asylum, Mrs. Lefevre and the remaining 
son came over and joined her husband and the other 
children, and so the family, which had been sep- 
arated on the banks of the Seine after two years of 
great anxiety, solicitude and suffering, were re- 
united on the banks of the Susquehanna. 

When the Duke Rochefoucauld visited Asylum in 



70 A SHORT HISTORY OF ASYLUM. 

1795, he speaks of Madame d'Autremont as being 
the widow of a steward at Paris, but does not state 
the manner of his death. Mr. Lefevre, having sold 
his lands at The Butternuts, continued to reside at 
Asylum and near vicinity until the end of his life, 
and until prevented by the infirmities of age, con- 
tinued to keep an excellent hotel. 

After the abandonment of the colony at Asylum, 
Mr. Lefevre moved over the river and established 
his hotel on what is now called Lime Hill. Tt has 
generally been spoken of as located at Standing 
Stone, a mile or two farther up the river. His house 
became celebrated for its delightful table. Travel- 
lers up and down the river always tried to make his 
house their stopping place in order to get something 
good to eat, properly cooked, and clean beds. 

Anthony Lefevre died February 1, 1830, his wife, 
Marie G. Lefevre, died August 23, 1834. These are 
the records on their tomb stones in the cemetery at 
Wyalusing, where they were buried, and are no 
doubt correct. Some writers have given different 
dates from these. 

In 1795, Talleyrand, after viewing other places of 
interest, visited Asylum. Two de la Roue brothers, 
and Louis Paul d'Autremont, now 23 years of age, 
accompanied him to France. It is said that for a 
while he was Talleyrand's private secretary. He 
continued to reside in Paris and Chantilly, married, 
had one daughter-, but no sons. It is not known in 
what business, except that it was honest and profita- 
ble. Such was the unnatural state of affairs in 
Paris that an espionage was kept on every one 
whether royalist or Republican. Though he wrote 
frequently to his mother and brothers, he was care- 



A SHORT HISTORY OF ASYLUM. 71 

fnl not to disclose anything about himself, lest his 
letter should be purloined and his life endangered. 
He did not want it to be known that he was a native 
of France. In a letter to his mother, he says : "To 
avoid anything disagreeable, I pass here as a French 
Canadian and have changed the architecture of my 
name to Dautrimonth. " This was the name to 
which he had them address their letters. He ex- 
pressed the deepest love for his mother, and interest 
in the welfare of his brothers by sending them money 
to be invested in real estate. Only once did he tell 
them of reverses and losses, from which he soon re- 
covered. He invested several thousand dollars in 
lands at Butternuts, which were lost in the wreck of 
the land speculation. He also bought lands in other 
parts of New York and in the state of Louisiana, 
but his land purchases were unfortunate, as were 
those of his mother and brothers. He was a man 
of fine personal appearance and considerable ability 
for public affairs. He was sent by the French gov- 
ernment on missions to England and to Portugal. 
He visited his relatives in this country in 1832, and 
after remaining eighteen months, returned to 
France, where he died. 

Madame d'Autremont and her two sons remained 
at Asylum until the colony disbanded, then they 
first stopped for a short time at Tioga Point 
(Athens), and then moved to their old home at But- 
ternuts, thence to Pittsfield, near Cooperstown, and 
finally to Angelica, N. Y. In 1806, Mrs. d'Autre- 
mont bought a piece of land on the Genesee at 
Angelica, N. Y., which she called the "Ketreat, " to 
which she removed with her son, Alexander, and 



72 A SHORT HISTORY OF ASYLUM. 

his family, and her son, Augustus, and where she 
was soon joined by her sister, Marie Claudine, and 
where a number of distinguished Frenchmen had 
settled, among whom were some of the Duponts, 
who afterwards removed to Delaware and became 
the most extensive powder makers in the United 
States. 

When the d'Autremonts returned to The Butter- 
nuts they found adverse claimants for the lands 
they had bought of Treat & Morris, through their 
agent, Boulogne, to whom they had given a power 
of attorney. Treat, one of the proprietors, was 
dead; Boulogne was dead, and Morris declared that 
they had never given him any authority to sell their 
lands, and that he had never paid them any money. 
Boulogne had deposited the power of attorney with 
a notary in Paris and it could not be produced in 
court. After three or four years contention, the 
d'Autremonts sold their deeds for a small sum, hav- 
ing lost several thousand dollars. Evidently. Mor- 
ris was dishonest. Mr. Boulogne could not have 
been fraudulently selling his lands for two or three 
years in France and America without Morris find- 
ing it out, and vending him to prison. It was only 
after the witnesses to the power of attorney were 
dead and Boulogne was dead, that he denied the 
sale. 

Madame d'Autremont died at Angelica, N. Y., 
August 29th, 1809, at the age of 64 years, and is 
buried in the cemetery at that place. Her son, 
Alexander, died at the same place August 4th, 1857. 
His wife, Abigail (Dodge) d'Autremont, also died 
there January 12th, 1866. They had 10 children. 



A SHORT HISTORY OF ASYLUM. 73 



Her youngest son, Augustus, went to Wilmington, 
Del., and was employed by the Duponts. In 1816, he 
married Sarah Ann Stewart .of New Castle, Del. He 
lived at Angelica and Friendship, N. Y. They had 
10 children. 



CHAPTER XII. 



THE LEFEVERE AND PREVOST FAMILIES. 
THE HOMETS AND LAPORTES. 

(HAS. FELIX BUE BOULOGNE had studied 
law, been admitted to the bar in Paris. When 
^the American Revolution broke out, he was 
one of the company of young Frenchmen who 
came over with General Lafayette and volunteered 
their services in the army of the United States and 
served to the end of the war. Having become pro- 
ficient in our language and made acquaintance with 
our people, he did not return to France with the 
others. He saw that there were greater opportuni- 
ties for doing business and making money in 
America than in Europe and remained here. He 
was an active, prompt, business man. Mr. Craft 
says of Boulogne: "In the early days of Asylum 
he conducted the greater part of the correspondence 
with the Americans, and seemed to be the general 
manager of the business." In the transaction of 
the outdoor business he often traveled long distances 
from home. It was when on one of these missions 
down in Sullivan county, below the Forks, that he 
was drowned in Loyal Sock, which was at flood 
stage, as we have stated elsewhere. That the 
d'Autremonts never blamed him for the imperfect 
title of the land he sold to them is proven by the 



74 A SHORT HISTORY OF ASYLUM. 

friendly letter written to him by Alexander d'Autre- 
ruont, only a year before his death, of which men- 
tion has been made. 

Boulogne and Adam Hoops were the two men 
selected by the company to explore northern Penn- 
sylvania and select the place for settlement, and to 
the former was given a letter of credit for any sum 
of money he might need in preparing the business 
on which they were sent. The place selected was 
entirely satisfactory to their employers. There is 
no evidence against his honesty that would be re- 
ceived in a court of justice. 

Louis I. Beaulieu was formerly a captain in the 
French army, he resigned his commission, came to 
America, joined the legion of Pulaski under Lafay- 
ette, and after the war was over, remained in the 
country whose independence he had helped to 
achieve. During his service he was taken prisoner 
at Savannah, 9th of October, 1779, and was ex- 
changed; was severely wounded at Charleston, S. 
C, May 12th, 1780, after the close of the war he 
married an English woman, and kept an inn at 
Asylum. 

Madame d'Autremont had three brothers and 
three or more sisters by the name of d'Ohet. One 
of her sisters, Marie Genevieve d'Ohet, was born in 
1752; married Anthony Bartholomew Lefeyre, to 
whom were born two sons and two daughters. As 
before stated, one son died in Prance just before 
they were ready to sail. The other son, Alexander, 
after coining to America, enlisted in the United 
States army in the war of 1812, and died of sickness 
at Carlisle, Pa. Cecelia, one of the daughters of 



A SHORT HISTORY OP ASYLUM. 75 

Anthony Lefevre, married John Anthony Prevost 
of Lime Hill, in 1815. Mr. Prevost was born in 
Paris, September 23rd, 1777, and at the age of 23 
came to this country in August, 1800. Asylum at 
that time was full of activity, but it is not known 
that Mr. Prevost visited the place then. He came 
to Angelica in 1809, and superintended the farm 
and garden of Judge Church while the Judge was 
visiting England. Two of Prevost 's brothers were 
soldiers in Bonaparte's army and in the Eussian 
campaign, and never returned. On a business trip 
traveling on horseback, he came to Lime Hill, Pa., 
where he became acquainted with Cecelia Lefevre, 
whom he afterwards married. Except for a short 
time in Philadelphia, they lived on Russell Hill, 
Wyoming county, Pa. 

He had been a florist in Paris, and on Russell Hill 
his greenhouse was filled with beautiful flowers and 
plants so rare that people came miles to see their 
brilliant coloring, and scent their sweet fragrance. 
He had a grapery, and always made wine enough to 
sell to stage passengers and travelers. At the re- 
quest of the passengers the stage always stopped at 
his house, and he would come out with bottle and 
glasses to sell them the pure juice of the vine. Three 
different times the writer was a passenger in the 
stage that stopped there. His price for wine was 
high, but no more than tavern keepers charged. 

He died April 30th, 1868, at the age of 90 years. 
His wife died at their home on Russell Hill, May 8th, 
1876. Three children were born unto them: Ed- 
ward, who inherited the homestead and whose de- 
scendants are among the best families in Wyoming 



76 A SHORT HISTORY OF ASYLUM. 

county. Angelique, who married William Mix, Esq., 
of Towanda. Theophilus Prevost died at the age 
of 55 years. Augustine, daughter of Anthony 
Lefevre, married John Huff, and lived on Lime Hill. 
They had no children. 

The youngest of the d'Ohet sisters, was Marie 
Claudine, born 1758. In early life she entered a 
school for nuns in Paris, where she continued until 
in the madness of the Revolution the religious es- 
tablishments were broken up, and the estates of the 
church sequestered to public use. Miss d'Ohet went 
to Nantes, and from there in 1806 she sailed for New 
York, and from there went directly to her sister, 
Mrs. d'Autremont, in Angelica, N. Y., where her re- 
maining days were spent, and where she died Jan- 
uary 28th, 1810, and was buried in the cemetery at 
Angelica. 

Louis Paul d'Autremont, in searching for rela- 
tives in France, found that his father's three 
brothers were dead, and could find no near relatives 
living. One cousin, Auguste d'Autremont, was a 
second lieutenant in the army. 

The letters of Louis Paul to his mother and 
brothers were numerous and affectionate. One of 
them is here given. 

"Paris, July 18th, 179S. 
"I always begin my letters with a reproach, or at least, a 
complaint. Why is it that I have not received letters from you 
for five months. I know that circumstances are anything but 
favorable for frequent communications. So many vessels do 
not reach their destination. Even those that escape the danger 
of being taken rarely escape the fear of the loss of letters. I 
wrote you about six weeks ago by M. Borneyville, vice consul 
at Boston. Today I take advantage of the departure of M. 
Gerry, one of our commissioners, to send you this. I will not 
speak to you of political affairs. In your solitude they would 
have little attraction for you. I will abstain then, from speak- 



A SHORT HISTORY OF ASYLUM. 77 

ing of them. I have plenty of things to tell you of concerning 
myself to fill this paper. I have to tell you of a little business 
I have just finished, and which will require for its entire con- 
clusion the good will- and attention of my dear Alexander. I 
have just bought of Duvernot all of his best lands in Chenango 
that is to say, all that belonged to him. I have made a bargain 
with him for a thousand acres of land. I have my choice every- 
where. All the clearings, even the mill belongs to me. You 
will say: But why this new purchase — what does this new 
project mean? In two words, my dear, I will explain to you. 
It is not well demonstrated to me yet that America is not the 
best country in the world. It is the one without dispute where 
one can be free and tranquil. After all that the late papiere 
of France must have told you, you must perceive that the great- 
est that can happen to a man is that neither good nor evil over- 
take him. According to this manner of thinking, which I share 
with many others, I must think of my future. I have bought 
these thousand acres that in every possible case I may have 
refuge. My intention is to give 200 acres to Alexander for a 
wedding present if he marries. 

"My substance (Capital) is not considerable (not rich), but 
it will permit me to live by becoming a farmer again and, no 
matter how small it is, Alexander, Auguste and you shall share 
it. Write to me at length and more of your country. 

"Adieu. I love and embrace you as mother and friend." 

(I have omitted the portions of Ms letter relating 
only to business, and giving directions about the 
lands be bad bougbt and proposed to buy.) 
The Duke de la Rochefoucauld says: 
"M. W. Prevost, he had been a citizen of Paris, 
celebrated there for his benevolence and member- 
ship in benevolent societies. He came to America 
with considerable property, a considerable part of 
which he expended on a settlement which he at- 
tempted to establish on the banks of the Susque- 
hanna above Binghamton, but was not successful, 
and from thence came down to Asylum." Mr. 
Craft says that "M. W. Prevost, while on horseback, 
attempted to ford the Loyal Sock, greatly swollen 
by recent rains, was drowned. His body was re- 
covered, brought to Asylum, and buried in the ceme- 



78 A SHORT HISTORY OF ASYLUM. 

tery on Broad street." It is evident that Mr. Cra£1 
must be mistaken. Mrs. Murray, and the other 
writers, do not mention it. It was Boulogne who 
was drowned in the Loyal Sock. 

Charles Hornet, Sr., had been a steward in the 
household of King Louis XVI, and fled when the 
misfortune came upon his sovereign. In the same 
vessel in which he crossed the Atlantic was a Miss 
Schillinger, who had been one of the waiting maids 
of the Queen, Marie Antionette. The King's stew- 
ard and the Queen's waiting maid had known each 
other in Paris, and became better acquainted during 
the voyage, and although she was ten years his 
senior, they were married soon after their arrival 
in this country. They lived in New Jersey for about 
one year, and then moved to Asylum and settled a 
few miles back from the river on a place near where 
the village of New Era is now located, and where 
preparations were being made for the reception of 
the dethroned King and Queen of France in case 
they were allowed to come. Mr. Hornet remained 
one year at New Era, and then bought several lots 
of the Asylum Company and moved on them. When 
the settlement was abandoned, Mr. Hornet and Bar- 
tholomew Laporte, Sr., bought a large part of the 
land which it occupied. Mr. Hornet's first wife 
(Theresa Schillinger)) died January 3rd, 18l!.*k 
Their children were Charles, Francis X., Harriet 
and Joseph. In 1827, Mr. Hornet married Cynthia 
Sickler, by whom he had one daughter, Lydia. Mr. 
Hornet died in 1838, at the age of 70 years, and is 
buried with his first wife in the cemetery beside the 
Methodist Church at Frenchtown. Although most 



A SHORT HISTORY OF ASYLUM. 79 

of the exiles at Asylum were Catholics and had a 
small chapel and services, Mr. Hornet joined the 
Methodist Church at Wysox. 

Bartholomew Laporte was born in Tulle, now in 
the province of Correze, France, in 1758. In 1776, 
he emigrated to Spain and settled at Cadiz, where 
he became a prosperous wine merchant, and had ac- 
cumulated a considerable fortune when the Spanish 
government issued a decree banishing all French 
residents, and confiscating their property, which 
left him almost penniless. At Marseilles, he became 
acquainted with Talon and came with him to 
America, as has already been related in another 
place. If he ever followed the sea as some accounts 
state, it must have been before he engaged in the 
wine business. 

In 1797, he was married at Asylum to Elizabeth 
Franklin. Their only child, John Laporte, was 
born at As} T lum, November 4th, 1798. At the break- 
ing up of the settlement, Mr. Laporte was empow- 
ered by the Asylum Company to lease the French 
holdings for one year, and eventually he became the 
owner of a large part of Asylum. He died Feb. 11th. 
1836. His wife died May 5th, 1852. Their only 
child, the Hon. John Laporte, was twice elected to 
Congress, where he served for two terms of two 
years each, and afterwards served as Surveyor Gen- 
eral of Pennsylvania. He had previously served as 
County Auditor, been a member of the Legislature 
for five years, (being Speaker of the House one 
year.) He was also one of the Associate Judges of 
Bradford County. In person he was very large — 
about six feet high and weighing 300 pounds. He 



80 A SHORT HISTORY OF ASYLUM. 

died in Philadelphia, August 22nd, 1862. His first 
wife, Matilda Chamberlain, daughter of Jabez 
Chamberlain, died August 5th, 1838. On Novem- 
ber 28th, 1840, he married Eliza Bendle. They had 
one child, Matilda Jane. By his first wife he had 
three children, Bartholomew, born January 5th, 
1823, Elizabeth, born November 24th, 1825, Samuel 
McKean, born February 25th, 1832. 

The Hon. John Laporte built the brick house 
standing on the corner of Main and Lombard streets, 
Towanda, and later the property and residence of 
the late Dr. Henry C. Porter. Mr. Laporte had 
lived in the house for some time previous to his 
death. He had been a resident of Towanda for a 
number of years, being engaged in the banking busi- 
ness with Gordon P. Mason and B. S. Eussell, and 
after the retirement of Mr. Russell, the firm's name 
was Laporte & Mason. There being no state banks 
in Towanda at that time, their business was very 
large. The writer attended Mr. Laporte 's funeral 
in Towanda. The casket was placed on benches on 
the sidewalk in front of his house, and it seemed as 
if all the people of Towanda passed by to take the 
last look at their departed citizen. He was taken 
to Asylum for burial. 

Antoine Lefevre was the keeper ox a, fashionable 
cafe in Paris, his wife being the sister of Madame 
d'Autremont. Besides his wife, his family consisted 
of one son and two daughters. Becoming alarmed 
at the condition of affairs in Paris, he disposed of 
his business and, in company with his sister-in-law, 
Madame d'Autremont, came to America. He was 
only allowed to bring a part of his family with him. 




FRANCIS X HOMET 
Son of Charles Hornet, Sr. 
a Frenoh refugee. 



A SHORT HISTORY OF ASYLUM. 81 

The government authorities being desirous of stop- 
ping emigration by keeping a part of every family 
as hostages for the return of those who departed. 
His passport included himself and son as stated in 
preceding pages. While waiting at Havre for a ves- 
sel his son was taken sick and died. He then dressed 
one of his daughters in his son's clothes and cut her 
hair so that she answered the description in the pass- 
port so closely as to escape detection. His wife and 
daughter soon after made their escape. 

They first settled at The Butternuts, where 
Madame d'Autremont settled at first, and from there 
both families removed to Asylum, where during its 
continuance they kept an inn. After its abandon- 
ment they moved over the river to Lime Hill, Pa. 
Here they kept an excellent house of entertainment,, 
where clean beds, and cleanly kept chambers and. 
well furnished tables, with finely cooked food, were' 
long remembered by their guests who traveled up 
and down the river and always planned to make this 
their stopping place if possible. Both Antoine 
Lefevre and his wife are buried in the cemetery at 
Wyalusing. 

Two of their daughters lived to maturity. One 
married John Prevost and lived on Eussell Hill, 
Wyoming county. The other married John Huff 
and lived on Frenchtown mountain, east side of the 
river. Mrs. Huff was the little girl whom her father 
brought over disguised in her brother's clothes. 
Both these ladies lived to be past 90 years of age, 
and could remember many of the events that trans- 
pired in the streets of Paris at the beginning of the 
Revolution. 



82 A SHORT HISTORY OF ASYLUM. 

The continuance of the Asylum settlement was 
less than ten years, but the Frenchmen set their 
American neighbors about them the example of bet- 
ter houses and roads, better gardens and better til- 
lage, more careful surroundings with flowers and 
shrubs, fruit trees and nut trees, courage in adver- 
sity and polite, courteous manners. 

In 1796 there were nearly fifty houses, twenty- 
nine names on the tax list, and from one hundred 
and fifty to two hundred inhabitants. 

During the continuance of the colony, one person 
committed suicide, and several were killed by acci- 
dent, or died from sickness. When the French came 
to Asylum there was not a post route, or postomce, 
in Bradford county. The publishers of newspapers 
distributed them by private express. The people 
at Asylum sent an express weekly to Philadelphia, 
the postman traveling on horseback, and this service 
was continued during the greater part of their stay. 

Under the controlling influence of Robespierre, 
the National Assembly, had issued a decree com- 
manding all emigrants to return under penalty of 
liaving their estates confiscated. "When the strong 
liand of Napoleon Bonaparte assumed power, all 
Frenchmen were invited to return, and the restora- 
tion of their estates was promised. The postman 
ivho brought the glad news to Asylum waved his hat 
;and shouted the tidings to all he met until he be- 
came hoarse. The colonists were rapturous with 
joy. Men hugged and kissed each other to the pro- 
found astonishment of American beholders. Some 
days were spent in feasting and then most of them 
commenced making preparations to leave the Penn- 



A SHORT HISTORY OF ASYLUM. 83 

sylvania woods for their beloved France. They did 
not all go at once, but returned across the ocean as 
fast as they could dispose of their property and ob- 
tain the means. They returned on the same route 
by which they came — down the river in boats to 
Catawissa, and from thence by land to Philadelphia. 

Only two (Mr. Hornet and Mr. Laporte) remained 
at Asylum. Mr. Lefevre moved across the river to 
Lime Hill, as has already been stated. The last land 
company in which de Noailles, Talon and others 
were interested did not prove so successful, as had 
been anticipated and was dissolved in 1808, and the 
lands deeded to Archibald McCall, John Ashley and 
Thomas Ashley in trust for the Asylum Company. 

On the 4th of March, 1843, the lands remaining 
unsold, amounting from ten to twenty thousand 
acres, were sold to "William Jessup of Susquehanna 
county, who subsequently conveyed the same to 
Michael Meylert of Laporte, Pa. 



APPENDIX 



CHAPTER XIII. 



THE FORMATION OF ASYLUM TOWNSHIP AND THE 

FRENCH SETTLERS WHO REMAINED AS 

PERMANENT RESIDENTS. 

IN November, 1814, the township of Asylum was 
taken from the township of Wyalusing which, 
up to that time, had extended on both sides 
of the river from the Sheshequin township line down 
to Wyoming county line, and southward to Sullivan 
county, at that time Lycoming county. When first 
formed, Asylum township comprised within its 
boundaries all the territory which now constitutes 
the townships of Towanda, Monroe, Terry, Asylum, 
Wilmot and Albany. The voting place was fixed at 
the house of Jonathan Terry, the first settler in Ter- 
rytown after the Indian invasion. 

The name Asylum, or "Azilum," (as the French 
pronounced it) had been given by the French exiles 
to their settlement at Frenchtown as a place of 
refuge. 

The township was not formed and named until 
about twelve years after their settlement had as a 
village been broken up and nearly all the residents 
departed. 

BAETHOLOMEW LAPORTE, SR. 

Unlike his friend and neighbor, Charles Hornet, 
Senior, (who was very sedate) Bartholomew La- 
porte was talkative and inclined to be humorous. 

84 



A SHORT HISTORY OF ASYLUM. 85 

In describing his fall from a hay stack, he said: "Me 
slippee ; me snatch-ee ; me no catch-ee ; me come down 
co-whop-pee ; dam-me-me ! ' ' 

The following was related by William Terry of 
Terry town: 

"I had an odd ox, and was desirous of obtaining a 
mate for him. I was told that Bartholomew La- 
porte, Sr., had an ox for sale, and went to see him. 
The old gentleman took me to the field where the ox 
was pasturing. He was a fine animal, in excellent 
condition, and the price was reasonable. I consid- 
ered myself a good judge of cattle. I asked no 
questions, counted out the money, and drove the ox 
over to Terrytown. Just as I got home, I met my 
brother, Nathaniel, who said: 'Your ox has one 
blind eye, did you know it?' I replied: 'Do you 
suppose I would buy an ox without looking him 
over f ' 

"The blind eye was on the right side of the ox's 
head, and I remembered that the old gentleman took 
me into the field on the left hand side of the ox, and 
as he fed along nipping off the grass and we follow- 
ing, the old gentleman kept him turned away from 
us so that I did not see his right side at all. The 
blind eye did not lessen his value for work or for 
beef." 

Bartholomew Laporte had a brother who was a 
sailor, and who visited him at Asylum, although 
there were no railroads or stage lines to bring him 
from New York. 

Bartholomew Laporte, 1st; born in France 1758; 
died February 11, 1836. Married Elizabeth Frank- 
lin (born in England), December 11, 1797. They 



86 A SHORT HISTORY OF ASYLUM. 

had an only child, John, born November 4, 1798, 
died August 22, 1862. 

John Laporte was twice married ; first to Matilda, 
daughter of Dr. Jabez Chamberlain and Irene Gil- 
bert, February 28, 1822. 

Second wife, Eliza Bendle, by whom he had one 
daughter, Matilda Jane, born October 24, 1841, died 
1871. The children of John Laporte and Matilda 
Chamberlain were : 

Bartholomew, born January 5, 1823, died Septem- 
ber 15, 1889. Married Emily Terry, daughter of 
William Terry of Terrytown, July 31, 1845. Chil- 
dren of Bartholomew Laporte and Emily Terry, as 
follows : 

George, born February 14, 1846. 

John W., born July 25, 1856, died February 6, 
1886. 

Nancy M., born May 14, 1859, died February 18, 
1896. 

George Laporte, married Amanda Piatt, January 
17, 1877. He died September 10, 1903. His chil- 
dren are as follows : 

Emily G., born November 25, 1877. 

Nellie M., born September 14, 1879. 

Edith J., born October 24, 1881, died July 23, 1898. 

Emily G. Laporte, married J. Garfield Kerrick Oc- 
tober 2, 1901, and to them were born children as fol- 
lows: 

John Laporte, October 9, 1904, died November 8, 
1904. 

Eleanor E., August 6, 1908. 

Nancy M. Laporte, daughter of B. Laporte, 2nd, 



A SHORT HISTORY OF ASYLUM. 87 

married Sidney Bovingdon, July 25, 1889, and died 
February 18, 1896. She left children as follows: 

John L., born June 29, 1890. 

George B., born January 23, 1893. 

Paul S., born March 20, 1894. 

Nan, born January 23, 1896. 

Elizabeth, daughter of John Laporte and Matilda 
Chamberlain, born November 24, 1825, died January 
25, 1885. 

Samuel McKean, born February 25, 1832, died 
April 14, 1896. 

Elizabeth, married Charles F. Welles, Jr., Novem- 
ber 27, 1843, at Asylum, lived at Athens; their chil- 
dren were: 

Frederick Laporte. 

Eleanor H. 

John C. 

Louise S., married Millard P. Murray. 

Robert H., died February 12, 1903. 

Elizabeth Franklin. 

Henry Fuller. 

Mary. 

Jessie. 

Mrs. Louise Welles Murray has a fine literary 
taste and is the author of an excellent history en- 
titled ' ' Story of Some French Refugees at Azilum. ' ' 

Bartholomew Laporte, 2nd, grandson of Bartholo- 
mew, 1st, was a man of more than ordinary ability. 
He was superior to his father as a public speaker. 
Lie and George Landon, when on the political stump, 
had no superiors as orators and debaters in the 
county. He was three times elected to the Pennsyl- 



88 A SHORIT HISTORY OF ASYLUM. 

vania Legislature, and was a candidate for Congress 
and was defeated by Joseph Powell, a Towanda mer- 
chant. Nothing was alleged against his ability or 
could truthfully be said against his integrity. The 
sole cause of his defeat was because being a farmer, 
he had joined the Patrons of Husbandry, or the 
Grange. The country merchants were prejudiced 
against the Grangers because they bought a part of 
their supplies directly from the manufacturers at 
wholesale, and some of both political parties com- 
bined against him. 

Charles F. Welles, Jr., was a large, fine looking 
man, and exceedingly able. Studied land survey- 
ing; made a tour in the west; returned and kept a 
store at Welles 's Ferry, near Sugar Run; was at the 
same time owning a half interest in a store kept by 
John Morrow in Quick's Bend. He nearly lost his 
fortune in building a railroad, which could not pay 
him when the work was completed. 

CHAELES HOMET, SR., AND DESCENDANTS. 

Charles Hornet, Sr., was born in Paris, 1769; mar- 
ried 1793, Maria Theresa Schillinger ; died June 3, 
1823. 

Children — Charles, born May 4, 1794; married 
Lucy Stevens, September 24, 1817. She was the 
daughter of Jonathan Stevens, and was born Aug- 
ust 20, 1799, and died March 3, 1851. To them were 
born eight sons and one daughter, Theresa, who 
married Philemon Stone of Wyalusing township. 
Charles, Jr., died in Asylum, August 20, 1864. 

Harriet T., the only daughter of Charles, Sr., was 
born March 2, 1801, married Simon, son of the Hon. 



A SHORT HISTORY OF ASYLUM. 89 

Jonathan Stevens, October 17, 1822, and lived in 
Standing Stone, where she died October 8, 1847. To 
them were born two sons and three daughters. 

Francis X., second son of Charles Hornet, Sr., was 
born on the old homestead in Asylum, April 5, 1798; 
married Lucy Jane Dodge, a grand-daughter of 
Major Oliver Dodge of Terrytown, June 24, 1828. 
They had no children. They lived and died on the 
old Hornet homestead. She died April 19, 1884. 
He died January 27, 1890. 

Joseph, third, and youngest son of Charles Hornet, 
Sr., was born in As}dum, married Orice Brown, and 
for a while the owner of the Hornet Mills, which he 
sold to his brother, Charles, and moved on a farm 
which he bought close to the village of Monroeton. 
Joseph Hornet died at Monroeton, February 26, 1880. 
His wife died July 2, 1865. 

Charles Hornet, Sr. 's first wife, Marie Theresa 
Schillinger, died January 3, 1823. Mr. Hornet mar- 
ried a second time Cynthia Sickler, a young woman, 
by whom he had one child, (a daughter) Lydia, who 
married Eleazer T. Fox of Towanda. Mr. Fox and 
his wife had an only child, who died young, and un- 
married. Mr. Fox died December, 1888. She died 
April 19, 1886. 

Charles Hornet, Sr., was a reserved man, but not 
distant. After his second marriage he moved into 
Wysox, where he died December 29, 1838. Judge 
Stevens says of him: 

"By prudent management and industry, he soon 
acquired the means of comfort and ease. His integ- 
rity was never impeached, and with morals unblem- 



90 A SHORT HISTORY OF ASYLUM. 

ished, he performed the pilgrimage of life and, like 
the righteous, met his death with the hope of immor- 
tality." 

Most of the exiles were Roman Catholics, but Mr. 
Hornet joined the Methodist Church. 

Charles Hornet, Jr., married Lucy Stevens Sep- 
tember 24, 1817. Their children were : 

Francis, born July 8, 1820; married first, Mary 
Gilbert, daughter of Oliver Gilbert. They had no 
children. His second marriage was with Ada 
Chamberlain. He was killed suddenly in 1867 by 
the fall of a derrick when building the creek R. R. 
bridge at the mouth of Wyalusing Creek. His chil- 
dren were : Mary, George S. and Rachel. 

Theresa, daughter of Charles F., Jr., and Lucy 
Stevens, born July 8, 1822 ; married Philemon Stone 
October 9, 1848. 

Jonathan, born February 16, 1824; married Har- 
riet Donley March 24, 1851; he followed farming 
near Fairbanks; died July 1, 1905. 

Edward, born May 3, 1826; married Maria Minnis, 
who was a well educated physician with an exten- 
sive practice. Mr. Hornet followed farming, and 
everything about his premises was kept in neatest 
condition and excellent order. There was a place 
for everything and everything in its place. They 
had an only child, Lucy J., born 1858; died in 1909. 
He died November 8, 1908. His wife died February 
4, 1892. 

Milton, born May 24, 1828; married Mary Ann 
Irvine. He followed farming and stock raising, and 
was prosperous. Their children were Irvine, born 



A SHORT HISTORY OP ASYLUM. 91 

April 29, 1859; died in 1897. Theresa, born in June, 
1872. 

Milton Hornet died in 1899. His wife died in 1884. 
He was a very thrifty hard working farmer, and a 
man of great business ability and accumulated a 
small fortune. 

Charles S., (usually called Steven Hornet), born 
May 20, 1830; married Julia Horton, June 11, 1861. 
She was the daughter of Dr. George F. Horton of 
Terrytown. They lived on Vaughan Hill. He was 
a good business man, followed farming, and was suc- 
cessful. In early life he studied surveying and en- 
gineering and did considerable land surveying. 

Volney, born March 20, 1833; married Emma A. 
Ingham, daughter of Thomas Ingham of Sugar Run, 
April 30, 1861. Previous to his marriage he studied 
medicine with Dr. Horton and graduated from one 
of the Philadelphia Medical Colleges. He practiced 
his profession successfully at Sugar Run, Camptown 
and Wyalusing. At the breaking out of the Civil 
War he was appointed an assistant surgeon, was 
sent to the Army of the Potomac, where he served 
with ability during the war. After his return he 
practiced his profession in the village of Wyalusing 
until his death, which occurred December 27, 1906. 

His wife was born November 25, 1840; died Feb- 
ruary 26, 1893. Their only child, Jessie, was born 
April 20, 1863. She is a fine musician, and in- 
structor of music. 

Dr. Hornet was a pure patriot, a public spirited 
citizen, an obliging neighbor, and a kind hearted 
gentleman. 

Seth, son of Charles Hornet, Jr., born March 13, 



92 A SHORT HISTORY OF ASYLUM. 

1836; died December 19, 1904. Married Elizabeth 
Eilenberger, March 4, 1864. He served as a soldier 
nine months in the Civil War, and lived all his life 
on the Hornet homestead near Hornets Ferry. Their 
children were : 

Marietta, born March 5, 1865; married Dr. A. D. 
Nesbit, June 19, 1890, and resides in Tekamah, Neb. 
They have one child, Marguerite, born May 7, 1891. 

Charles M., born October 6, 1867; married Carrie 
S. Chamberlain October 28, 1896. Their children 
are: 

Elizabeth, born May 26, 1898. 

Marietta, born March 24, 1900, died October 12, 
1910. 

Charles M. lives on the old homestead occupied 
by his father and his grandfather. 

Cora, born October 21, 1869, died suddenly May 
10, 1888, of fever just before she was to graduate at 
Collegiate Institute, Towanda, Pa. 

Anna, born April 16, 1877, died April 18, 1877. 

Geraldine M., born June 29, 1876; married March 
24, 1906, to Frank D- Vaughan. 
Joseph A., (son of Charles Hornet, Jr.,) born May 
May 18, 1840; married Adelia Gordon, June 8, 1865. 
Their children were : 

Augusta, born August 26, 1867; married Emory 
Kerrick, December 24, 1891. 

Fanny, born October 2, 1870; married Walter N. 
Wolcott, July 17, 1906. 

Edward, born January 3, 1873; died November 26, 
1911. 

Minor, born May 2, 1875; died February 20, 1890. 

Eleazer, born June 3, 1877; died October 17, 1911. 

Mr. Joseph A. Hornet was an active business man, 



A SHORT HISTORY OP ASYLUM. 93 

owned and operated the Hornet Mills for many years. 
He sold the mill, which later was destroyed by fire. 
He removed to Towanda, where he died December 
1, 1905. 

The children of Augusta (Hornet) Kerrick: 
Joseph Hornet Kerrick, born February 20, 1893. 
Dorothy F. Kerrick, born October 1, 1894; died 
December 15, 1894. 
Helen A., born October 1, 1895. 
Fanny (Hornet) Wolcott has one child, Lydia 
Hornet, born March 9, 1909. 

The children of Charles., or "Steven" Hornet, 
and Julia Horton, his wife, were : 

William H., born March 22, 1862; married Adelia 
L. Mitten October 17, 1889. She died March 18, 
1910. 

Eliza H., born December 5, 1865; married John G. 
Black June 18, 1899. 

Francis B., born August 27, 1869; married Lizzie 
Morrow October 9, 1895. 

The children of W. H. Hornet are : 
Harold M., born August 1, 1890. 
Eoland S., born July 16, 1891. 
Julia H., born December 5, 1892. 
Edna C, born December 27, 1893. 
Marion W., born May 8, 1895. 
Francis J., born March 20, 1898. 
Mildred, born July 14, 1899. 
Neva, born June 11, 1901. 
Dorothy C, born December 29, 1902. 
Alice M., born August 13, 1905. 
Euth G., born December 27, 1906. 



94 A SHORT HISTORY OF ASYLUM. 

The children of Francis B. Hornet are: 
Beatrice Frances, born October 4, 1896. 
Evelyn Ferieda, born December 3, 1898. 
Lida Hannah, born January 7, 1901. 
Charles Emerson, born December 19, 1908. 

Francis B. lives on the homestead built by his 
father near Wyalusing Borough. He is a farmer 
and an accomplished teacher of vocal music and 
president of the Farmers' Mutual Fire Insurance 
Company of Tuscarora. 

The children of Theresa Hornet (daughter of 
Charles Hornet, Jr.,) and Philemon Stone were: 

Charles R., born May 27, 1849; died June 19, 1913. 

Thomas Benton, born March 4, 1857; married 
Minnie Hillis, April 2, 1879. 

Ulysses P., born March 5, 1859; married Augusta 
Hoffman, April 11, 1908. 

Lucy, born November 9, 1865. 

The children of Thomas B. are: 

William, born December 31, 1879. 

Susie, born April 14, 1888. 

One child died in infancy. 

The children of Francis Hornet were : 

Mary, George S. and Rachel. 

Mary married George W. Fell, and their children 
were: 

Francis. 

Stella. 

Hugh. 

Paul. 

Joseph. 

Jean. 



A SHORT HISTORY OP ASYLUM. 95 

George S. had no children. 

Rachel married William Wells, June, 1876. Her 
children were : 
Arthur, who married Cora Overfield. 
Marian. 

Arlene, who married Moses Sparks. 
Francis N., married Emma Ruff. 

The children of Jonathan Hornet were : 
Lucv, born May 21, 1853; married J. H. Howard, 
February 8, 1883." 

Ida, born April 27, 1860; died September, 1863. 
Ada, born April 23, 1863. 
The children of Lucy Hornet Howard are : 
Brunetta, born January 31, 1884; married Ackley 

E. Blocher, August 30, 1912. 

Harriet, born August 3, 1885; married J. Yinette 
Taylor, October 18, 1913. 

Genevieve, born April 29, 1887; married Ernest 

F. Fox, August 30, 1912. 
John, born June 15, 1892. 

Brunetta Howard Blocher has one son, Howard N. 
Harriet Howard Taylor has one son, Justus V. 
Genevieve Howard Fox has one daughter, Har- 
riet E. 

DESCENDANTS OF ANTHONY LEFEYRE. 

THE MIX FAMILY. 

Anthony Lefevre was among the first exiles who 
settled in Asylum in 1793, where he remained during 
its entire existence, keeping an "inn" or licensed 
tavern. When the settlement broke up he was one 



96 A SHORT HISTORY OF ASYLUM. 

of the three who remained on the ground, or only 
moved a mile or two from it. Bartholomew Laporte 
and Charles Hornet remained where they were. 
Anthony Lefevre moved to a new home across the 
river, only a mile or two from the abandoned town, 
where he kept an excellent tavern for many years. 
His locality, or neighborhood in which he lived, was 
sometimes called Standing Stone, and some times 
Lime Hill. His daughter, Cecelia, married John 
Prevost in 1815, and lived on Russell Hill, Wyoming 
County, Pa., and died there in 1876. John Prevost 
came from France in 1800, but was not one of the 
residents at Asylum. He and Cecelia Lefevre had 
a daughter, Angelique Mary, who married William 
Mix, one of the substantial and revered residents of 
Towanda, January 18, 1842. She died January 8, 
1911, aged 92 years. Their children were: John 
W. Mix and Mary E. Mix. John W. Mix married 
Bell Spalding, who died January 29, 1885. Mary 
E. Mix married Mahlon M. Spalding. She died Jan- 
uaiy 12, 1915, at Towanda, Pa., her husband and 
one son, William M. Spalding, surviving her. 

William M. Spalding was born February 15, 1876 ; 
married to Sarah Gertrude Packer, March 9, 1907, 
and have three children, viz : 

Marie Angelique Spalding, born January 10, 1908. 

Gertrude Jane Spalding, born May 23, 1910. 

William Mix Spalding, Jr., born March 18, 1915. 

John W. Mix resides at Towanda, in the large, 
fine looking family homestead, surrounded with 
spacious grounds, shade trees, fruit trees and flow- 
ers. Mr. Mix has held the important and responsi- 
ble office of United States Commissioner for 46 years 




MRS. ANGELIQUE M. MIX 
Granddaughter of Anthony Lefevre, 
a French refugee. 



A SHORT HISTORY OP ASYLUM. 97 

under successive administrations, since August. 
1869, which is proof of his ability and popularity. 

THE D'AUTREMONT FAMILY. 

Hubert d'Autremont was born in France and lost 
his life at the time of ithe French Revolution. On 
February 3, 1770, he married Marie Jane d'Ohet. 
She was born in 1745, and died at Angelica, N. Y., 
in 1810. She left France in 1792, with her three 
sons, viz: Louis Paul, born November 7, 1770, 
died in 1810 in Paris, leaving no male issue. He had 
one daughter who married a man named Bridet. 
She had two sons and in 1852, by decree of the Em- 
peror, Napoleon III, they took their mother's 
maiden name, d'Autremont, which their descend- 
ants bear to this day in France, said Louis Paul 
d 'Autremont having returned to France with Talley- 
rand in the latter part of the 17th century. 

The second son, Alexander Hubert d'Autremont, 
was born in Paris, March 12, 1776, and died at An- 
gelica, N. Y., April 4, 1857. His wife was Abigail 
Dodge, daughter of Major Dodge of Towanda, Pa. 
Their third son, Augustus Francois d'Autremont, 
was born in Paris, France, June 7, 1783. He died 
at Hume, N. Y., January 28, 1860. 

Charles d'Autremont, son of Alexander Hubert 
d'Autremont and of Abigail Dodge d'Autremont, 
one of nine children, was born November 19, 1822, 
at Angelica, N. Y., and died March 3, 1891, at An- 
gelica. In 1850, he married Sarah Collins at An- 
gelica, N. Y. They had two children, Charles d'Au- 
tremont, Jr., born June 2, 1851, at Angelica, N. Y., 
now living at Duluth, Minn., and Mary d'Autremont, 



98 A SHORT HISTORY OF ASYLUM. 

born October 16, 1864, at Angelica, N. Y., and still 
living there. 

Charles d'Autremont, Jr., married on April 21, 
1880, Hattie Hart, daughter of Erastus P. Hart of 
Elmira, N. Y. They have five children, as follows: 

Antoinette, born July 10, 1881. 

Louis Paul, born August 23, 1883. 

Charles Maurice, born August 6, 1887. 

Hubert Hart, born February 19, 1889. 

Marie Genevieve, born March 9, 1892. 

They live at Duluth, Minn. 



A SHORT HISTORY OF ASYLUM. 99 

THE TABLET. 

Inscription on the Tablet marking 'the site of Asy- 
lum, erected and dedicated with appropriate cere- 
monies June 14, 1916. 



THIS MONUMENT IS ERECTED 

TO COMMEMORATE AND PERPETUATE 

THE MEMORY AND DEEDS OF 

THE FRENCH ROTrALIST REFUGEES 

WHO ESCAPING FROM FRANCE 

AND THE HORRORS OF ITS REVOLUTION 

AND FROM THE REVOLUTION IN SAN DOMINGO 

SETTLED HERE IN 1793 

AND LOCATED AND LAID OUT THE TOWN OF 

ASYLUM 

UNDER THE AUSPICES OF THE VISCOUNT de 

NOAILLES AND MARQUIS ANTOINE OMER TALON 

IN 1796 LOUIS PHILIPPE, DUKE OF ORLEANS, 

AFTERWARDS KING OF FRANCE, VISITED HERE 

THE PRINCE de TALLEYRAND, 

THE DUKE de MONTPENSIER, COUNT BEAUJOLAIS, 

THE DUKE de la ROCHEFOUCAULD de LIANCOURT, 

AND MANY OTHER DISTINGUISHED FRENCHMEN 

WERE VISITORS OR RESIDENTS FOR A SHORT TIME 

AT ASYLUM. 

ERECTED IN 1916 BY JOHN W. MIX 

AND CHARLES d'AUTREMONT, JR., 

DESCENDANTS OF FRENCH REFUGEE SETTLERS 

LAND DONATED BY GEORGE LAPORTE HEIRS. 



